


For Better Or Worse

by Luna0603



Series: Tied Together With A Smile [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 69, Bisexual Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Breakup, Cheating, College, College Parties, Comfort, Coming Out, Drug Use, Drunk Sex, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Frat Parties, Gay Will Byers, Halloween, Halloween parties, Hate Sex, Lumax smut, M/M, Mileven Argument, OCs - Freeform, Oral Sex, Original Characters - Freeform, Questioning Sexuality, Sequel, Shower Sex, Smut, Spanking, Thanksgiving, Vomiting, blowjob, homophobic slur, mileven smut, thunderstorm, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 99,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27503212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna0603/pseuds/Luna0603
Summary: Sequel to Tied Together With A Smile. Mike and El are happily back together, and the party is split up for college. Follow the whole party through new heartbreaks, celebrations, surprises, love, death, and more. Mileven is the focal ship, but all party members are featured and multiple ships will be included.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair
Series: Tied Together With A Smile [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010013
Comments: 233
Kudos: 98





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello and welcome! This story is a sequel to Tied Together With A Smile and picks up pretty directly after the ending of chapter 25. If you have not read TTWAS, please do that because events from that story will be referenced frequently, and there will be characters you are unfamiliar with if you have not read that story. I’ll have some more notes for you guys at the end of this chapter, but let’s get on with it! Please remember to leave me a review and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters.

It was a warm, sunny Monday morning in West Lafayette, Indiana. The students of Purdue University were beginning to crowd the campus as they headed to their first class of the semester – well, those of them who signed up for early classes. El Hopper and Mike Wheeler had both been lucky enough not to schedule any classes beginning before 10AM. They both knew they would probably never get so lucky again, but they were more than happy to take advantage of getting to sleep in while many of their peers woke up early for classes.

Still, El’s body had become accustomed to waking up early after attending high school in Hawkins for the last two years. So it was no surprise to El that she woke up as the first rays of the sun shone through her dorm room window. She looked at the clock which read 8:05AM. Fifty-five minutes before her alarm was scheduled to wake her up, but she was wide awake.

El rolled over and looked at her boyfriend who was sleeping soundly next to her. Mike was laying on his side and facing her, his arm draped loosely over El’s waist from when he was spooning her overnight. El laid there for a minute, listening to the sound of him breathing and watching his dark eyelashes flutter every now and then. She knew Mike’s classes lasted longer than hers today, and after she leaves for her 10AM class, they would not see each other again until after 6PM.

El reached one hand up to cup his cheek and gently brushed her thumb over Mike’s slightly parted lips. She leaned in to kiss him softly. At the first sign of Mike beginning to stir, El slowly moved her hand down from his face, over his bare chest, down his stomach, until she reached the waistband of his boxers. El lightly traced his skin along the waistband of his boxers, and she soon felt him start to harden against her leg. She moved her hand down further to stroke the bulge that had formed in Mike’s boxers, and as her hand moved up and down its length, squeezing gently, she heard Mike moan softly as he began to wake up.

She pressed her body against his, guiding Mike to roll onto his back, and then El began kissing his neck. Her kisses trailed down his chest, following the same line down his body that her hand had followed moments before. She pulled his boxers down and gently took his hardening cock in her hand.

El began stroking him, and she looked up to see Mike finally opening his eyes. Through his sleepy, half-lidded eyes, Mike watched as El stuck out her tongue to tease the tip of his cock. She licked around the tip, coating it with her saliva, and used her hand to spread it down his length while she continued to pump him.

Then, El closed her lips around Mike’s tip and took him further into her mouth, sliding down his cock until her nose touched his pelvis. She heard Mike sigh when he was all the way in. El began to move her lips back up, gliding her tongue along the underside of his cock while her hand kept its firm grasp at the base.

El began to bob faster on Mike’s cock, sucking and licking him while her saliva ran down his balls and onto the bedsheet. Soon, she felt Mike’s hand find its place on the back of her head, and the moans that were escaping his throat urged her to keep up her pace.

Mike clenched his fist in El’s hair and closed his eyes, trying to keep this from ending as long as he could. He felt El remove her mouth from his shaft, and then one of his balls was in her mouth while she massaged the other with one hand and vigorously jerked him off with the other. Mike moaned loudly and pulled El’s hair tighter, and she moved her mouth to his other ball, not slowing the pace she was jerking his cock.

El took him all the way back into her mouth, feeling the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat. With a fistful of El’s hair in his hand, Mike watched her lips slide up and down his throbbing erection until she finally pushed him over the edge.

Mike clenched his eyes shut and held El’s head in place as he spurted all of his cum down her throat. El swallowed every last drop, and when Mike released his grip on her hair, she gently slid his cock out of her mouth, gingerly kissing the tip of it before she smiled up at him.

“Good morning,” she grinned.

“Good morning,” Mike chuckled.

El crawled up and laid next to him, resting her head on his chest as he held her against his body. She could feel Mike’s heart beating rapidly in his chest, and she squeezed her arm around his waist.

“I hope you don’t mind that I woke you up,” El smirked.

“You can wake me up like that any time you want,” Mike reminded her.

It was something he had told her numerous times in the past. He was never particularly a morning person, but waking up to one of El’s blowjobs was always a nice surprise. 

“I thought you could use some good luck on your first day of college, and it was a little something to hold you over,” El said.

“Well, you know, it’s your first day of college, too,” Mike murmured, sliding his hand down El’s curves and squeezing a handful of her ass. “You want to start your day off on a good note, too.”

“Mmm, I think you gave me enough last night to hold me over,” she said, but she parted her thighs enough for his hand anyway.

“But you’re so wet again already,” Mike said, gliding his fingers up and down her slick slit.

He inserted two fingers into El’s aching core, and she inhaled sharply, clutching his bicep as she buried her face into his chest. Mike began to curl his fingers inside her while his thumb circled around her sensitive clit. He had made her cum four times last night, so El was sure it would take no time at all, and she was right.

Mike added a third finger and vigorously fingerfucked her until he felt El’s walls tighten around his fingers, and she squeezed her fingernails into his bicep she was holding while she cried out against his chest. When Mike felt her pussy stop fluttering, he pulled his hand out of her and rested it on her ass.

“There, now we’re even,” he grinned.

El laughed and shook her head. That was the fifth time Mike had made her cum in the past twelve hours, and he had only cum twice. El was not sure how that equaled out to ‘even’ to him, but she was not one to complain. They had always had a lot of sex since they lost their virginities to each other when she and the Byers family moved back to Hawkins, but the last six months since they had gotten back together had been a lot, even for them. Especially the last several days after they had moved into their dorm rooms before classes were scheduled to start.

After she was accepted to college, El had begged Joyce to let her stay in a dorm with a roommate, but Joyce had been adamantly against the idea. Joyce had patiently explained that living with a stranger could open too many possibilities for El’s powers to be discovered. El had to admit that Joyce had a point, but she was still upset that she wouldn’t have the full college experience which included a college roommate. Joyce had helped El with financial aid, and they had taken out more to cover the cost of the more expensive dorm with single rooms so El could have a room to herself. Any annoyance El had felt about that had quickly disappeared when she and Mike realized the first night how convenient it made things for them.

For the first time since they had started having sex, Mike and El didn’t have to sneak around, make sure no one was home, or be quiet so their parents and siblings wouldn’t hear them. They could also spend as many nights together as they wanted, as long as they didn’t get caught by the resident advisor in El’s hall; although, Mike did promise Will that he wouldn’t neglect Will by spending every night at El’s dorm.

Mike and Will were roommates, and they lived in a dorm that was only a five-minute walk from El’s. Mike tried to spend every other night at El’s dorm and every other night at his and Will’s, but his plan was not perfect. Last night, he was supposed to have gone back to his and Will’s room, but he was too wrapped up with El, and by the time they finished, Mike had no desire to walk the five minutes back to his own bed.

“I have to get up soon,” El sighed, tightening her arm around Mike, and he smiled at her clinginess.

“I know, but aren’t you excited for your first day?” Mike asked.

“Yes,” El replied hesitantly, and then she paused. “But I’m also kind of nervous.”

“Nervous? What are you nervous about?” Mike asked, stroking his fingers through her hair.

El had spent a couple months during the winter of their senior year of high school really exploring her own interests. She had wanted to be as prepared as possible for the start of college, and she felt like she was. But even with the confidence that she had grown, it was still a whole new world.

“Campus is so much bigger than Hawkins High School,” El said.

“Campus is so much bigger than Hawkins in general,” Mike chuckled. “But we walked around yesterday and found where all of our classes are. You’ll be okay.”

“Yeah, but I’m not going to know anyone either,” El continued. “This is my first time going to school without knowing anyone in my classes. And it’s not like I can see you or any of our friends between classes, either. I won’t see you again until this evening, and Max isn’t even here.”

“No, but Will’s here, and he’s done with classes today at 3:30,” Mike reminded her. “And Mondays are my latest day of the week. The rest of the week, I’ll be the one waiting for you to get out of class.”

“It’s just a big change,” El said, hugging him tighter again.

“I know it is, but you adapt to change better than anyone else I know,” Mike said. “Look at all the new changes you’ve experienced in the past six years. You’re going to do amazing.”

El smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

“Thank you,” she said sweetly. “I’d tell you you’re going to do amazing too, but I think graduating high school with honors already did that.”

Mike chuckled and kissed her forehead.

“Well, hey, why don’t you get ready, and I’ll walk with you to your first class before going back to my room,” he suggested.

El leaned in for another peck on the lips before getting out of bed and getting herself ready for her first day of her freshman year of college.

Once she was ready, she loaded her books for the day into her backpack, and El and Mike left her dorm room to head to her first class. As they walked through campus, El looked all around her, taking in her new reality. There were way more students than there had been in the hallways of their high school, but it didn’t seem nearly as crowded as those halls had. Maybe the freedom of walking from class to class outside had something to do with that. 

As they passed all sorts of different people, El found herself wondering if she would get to know any of them. Would she make new friends? Certainly, nobody could ever replace the party, but would she have a new group of friends here at college? After all, the party was split across four different schools in the midwest. Nobody knew her here, and she didn’t know anyone other than Mike and Will. It was scary but refreshing at the same time.

When they reached the building where El’s first class was, Mike stopped and El looked up at him. 

“Thanks for walking with me,” she said.

“No problem. You’re going to do great,” Mike replied, and then he leaned down to kiss her. “Good luck. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Okay, I love you,” El said.

“I love you, too,” Mike replied.

After parting ways with El at her first class, Mike crossed through campus on his way back to his and Will’s dorm. When he got there, he found it empty, as Will had already left for class as well. Mike’s first class of the day didn’t start until 11AM, so he had plenty of time to shower and get ready.

He grabbed his towel and shower things and a clean set of clothes and walked down the hallway to the shared bathroom on this end of the hall. After he showered and dressed for the day, Mike made sure he had all the books and materials he needed for the day, and then he left to start his first day of college, hoping that he, El, and Will would all have a smooth first day.

On the other side of campus, Will was already in his second class of the day, and he was loving it. Unlike high school where everyone had to take the same classes regardless of interests, Will actually cared about all of the classes on his schedule. He had dreamed of going to college his whole life, but he was not oblivious to his mom’s financial struggles. The fact that she worked so hard to ensure that Will had the chance to chase his dreams is something that he would never be able to repay her for, but he was definitely going to try.

Moving in to his dorm with his best friend had been one of the happiest days of his life. There was a sense of freedom in living away from Hawkins, paired with the excitement of starting a brand new chapter in a new place where nobody knew him. Here, he wasn’t Zombie Boy. Nobody knew Will’s past, and nobody here had bullied and tormented him throughout his childhood. It was refreshing. But, there was also the welcomed familiarity of having Mike with him, his best friend since kindergarten. Will had been disappointed when Mike didn’t come back to the room last night like he said he was going to, but Will wasn’t too surprised either. He knew that Mike and El would want to take advantage of their new freedoms as well. Will just hoped that they would make an effort not to exclude him, especially when they were the only two people on campus that he knew.

Will loved Mike and El, and he missed Lucas, Dustin, and Max greatly, but he was excited by the idea of making some new friends as well. He thought his classes would be a great place to meet people since they would likely have common interests, and Will was also considering looking through the extracurricular clubs and organizations that the university offered.

His third class of the day was a graphic design course, and Will easily found the building he needed to be in. He had explored campus yesterday with Mike and El, and the three of them had walked each of their schedules so they would know where their classes were. This class was not a far walk from Will’s previous class, and he arrived with ten minutes left before the start of class, so he was one of the first ones in the classroom.

Will chose a seat in the second row and pulled out the required textbook for the course. He glanced at the front of the classroom and saw a small table sitting in front of the chalkboard, and on the chalkboard was written the words “Take One” and an arrow pointing downward. Will walked to the front of the room and grabbed a syllabus from the table. At his seat, he was reading through the course syllabus and not paying much attention as his peers filed in around him.

He did look over when he saw from the corner of his eye that someone had sat in the seat next to him. The guy who had filled the seat next to Will had tan skin, dark blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He had his head down as he read through the syllabus in his hands, and when he felt Will looking his way, he glanced up and offered a polite nod Will’s way. Will reciprocated with a smile, and then the guy went back to reading the syllabus.

Will felt a slight pang of disappointment that the guy had not said hello. This was Will’s third class of the day, and he had not actually met another person. Maybe if he wanted to make new friends, he had to take the first step.

“Um, hi,” Will said, hoping he didn’t sound too awkward. “My name’s Will.”

“I’m Adam,” replied the guy next to Will as he laid down the syllabus and looked back up at Will. “Nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Will said.

Adam smiled and looked back down at the syllabus, and Will frowned. What was he supposed to say next to this complete stranger? Things were so much easier in kindergarten when you could just sit next to another kid on a swing and ask to be friends, which is how he and Mike had become friends. Maybe branching out in college would be harder than Will had thought.

Over ninety miles away in Terre Haute, Max was groggily waking up for her first day of classes. It was almost noon, and her first class started at 12:30. Max groaned and flopped her hand around on her nightstand until she found the bottle of aspirin she had been searching for. She popped two of the pills into her hand and swallowed them with a swig of the water bottle that she kept next to her. Her head was killing her. But, what better way to start her first day of college than with a hangover from the last two days of non-stop parties?

On move-in day, Max and her roommate Sarah had clicked immediately, which Max had found bizarre because she mainly hung out with boys her entire life. Other than El and Robin, Max had never been too fond of having many female friends, but Sarah was an immediate exception. Sarah was just as outspoken as Max, and she was coming to college to have a good time. Lucky for Max, Sarah’s older sister also attended the university, so Sarah knew where the best move-in weekend parties were happening, and she invited Max along. 

It had been a blast. Max had danced and drank and lived up the freedom that she finally had. She wasn’t confined to that house with her mom and Neil that was so devoid of love and that had somehow gotten even worse after Billy died and had never gotten better. She wasn’t trapped in the halls of Hawkins High with a bunch of people she didn’t care about. This was a new start. The only thing that could make it better was if Lucas had joined her.

Max and Lucas had been going strong for months leading up to the start of college. They were in a committed relationship for the first time in the four years of on-again-off-again dating they had been doing, and Max had found that she actually enjoyed the monogamy. Still, going to college had the potential to make or break them. She certainly missed Lucas and wished they had gone to the same school, but she knew they each had their own paths to follow. She hoped their relationship was strong enough to withstand the distance, but after move-in weekend, she was already starting to have her doubts.

It wasn’t that Max didn’t love Lucas, but she had just experienced a new level of independence, and she was sure there was a lot more to explore. Max knew that Lucas must be experiencing similar things in Columbus. 

Suddenly, the phone in her dorm room rang, startling Max, and she reached for it, wondering who it could be.

“Hello?” her hoarse voice said into the phone.

“Max?” came the concerned voice on the other end.

Max cleared her throat to sound more like herself.

“Lucas?” she asked.

“Did you have a rough night already?” Lucas asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

“You only get one first weekend at college,” Max chuckled.

“And it sounds like you made it one for the books,” Lucas said. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, I was getting up for class anyway,” Max replied.

“Wow, I’m actually done with class for the day,” Lucas said.

“You’re done with classes at noon?” Max exclaimed.

“Just on Mondays and Wednesdays,” Lucas replied.

“So what are you going to do the rest of the day?” Max asked.

“I don’t know yet, but I was calling to tell you that I thought more about trying out for the football team, and what the hell, I think I’m going to do it,” Lucas said.

“That’s great!” Max exclaimed. “I know you’ll kick ass at it.”

Lucas had been talking for weeks about trying out for the football team when he got to college. He didn’t play in high school, but they accepted walk-in try-outs, and Lucas had enjoyed playing football with his cousins for as long as he could remember. He figured there was no harm in at least going for it, and if he made the team, great. If not, at least he could say that he tried.

“Thanks, babe. I needed some of that MadMax encouragement for good luck,” Lucas said.

“Well if I was there right now, I could give you a lot more than encouragement for good luck,” Max said, her voice turning sultry.

“Come on, don’t do that to me right now,” Lucas groaned. “I’m not even in my room. I’m in the student union.”

“Fine,” Max sighed. “No good luck phone sex for you.”

“Try-outs start in a few days, and if you come visit me next weekend, I’ll happily accept congratulatory actual sex,” Lucas said.

“And if you don’t make the team?” Max asked.

“Consolation sex is also acceptable,” Lucas replied.

“But it’ll be congratulatory. I know it,” Max said.

“Thanks, I hope so,” Lucas said. “But I’ll let you go so you can get ready.”

“Okay. Talk to you later. Let me know how try-outs go,” Max said.

“Sure will. Love you,” Lucas said.

“Love you too. Bye, Stalker,” Max said, ending the call.

Up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Dustin was running late to his first chemistry course of the semester. He was sprinting through campus, bumping into some of his peers and narrowly missing others. His chemistry course was in a building nearly a fifteen-minute walk from his preceding course, so he would be cutting it close each day. The thought crossed Dustin’s mind that he may need to amend his schedule.

“Excuse me!... Sorry!” Dustin called as he pushed his way through his fellow students who were casually walking through campus.

Finally, he reached his chemistry classroom, and Dustin stopped to catch his breath in the hallway before walking inside. When he had regained himself, Dustin walked in, and he was greeted immediately by the professor.

“Name?” he asked.

“Dustin Henderson, sir,” Dustin replied.

The professor checked his seating chart and pointed at a lab table off to the left. Dustin nodded at his professor and walked to the empty lab table. His previous classes did not have assigned seats, but Dustin figured this was probably different because the professor had pre-arranged lab partners.

Dustin took one of the two seats at the lab table and began pulling out the required chemistry textbook. He checked the first page of the syllabus and flipped his textbook to the page where the first unit started, and Dustin was skimming through the pages when he saw someone nearing his table out of the corner of his eye. Must be his lab partner. He heard the seat next to him pull out, and Dustin looked up to greet his new lab partner.

His eyes met those of his lab partner, and Dustin’s mouth dropped open and his heart nearly stopped pounding. His lab partner froze as well, her eyes doubling in size as she realized who she was about to sit next to.

“Suzie?!” Dustin said.

“Dustin?!” Suzie returned.

“What are you doing here?” Dustin asked, dumbfounded.

“What do you think I’m doing here? I’m furthering my education,” Suzie replied with enough sass for Dustin to detect.

“I figured you would’ve stayed in Utah,” Dustin explained.

“Well, you were wrong. No surprise there,” Suzie said.

“Does he expect us to be partners?” Dustin asked, narrowing his eyes.

“It looks that way,” Suzie replied.

“What was he thinking?!” Dustin groaned.

“I’m guessing he didn’t have the complete dating history of all of his students at the ready when pairing up lab partners,” Suzie said dryly.

“Well, if he would have, this could have been avoided,” Dustin replied, and Suzie rolled her eyes. “I don’t exactly want to work with my ex-girlfriend.”

“Well, I don’t exactly want to work with my ex-boyfriend who doesn’t even know Planck’s constant,” Suzie said. “I can already tell I’ll be pulling all the weight on these labs.”

“The Planck’s constant thing was one time,” Dustin argued. “But maybe we should talk to the professor after class and get our lab partners switched.”

“Maybe we should,” Suzie agreed.

Suzie sat next to him, and soon the class began. It was a good thing that today’s class focused a lot on the syllabus and expectations of the course, because Dustin was finding it hard to remain focused. His eyes kept drifting next to him to where Suzie sat, and each time he looked at her, he felt annoyed all over again that he was expected to work with her.

When class ended, Dustin and Suzie gathered their belongings and walked up to the front of the classroom to their professor while their classmates filed out of the room.

“Excuse me, Dr. Collins?” Suzie began politely, and the older gentleman looked at the two of them.

“Yes?” he asked,

“Hi, I’m really looking forward to your class this semester, and I want to do the absolute best that I can,” Suzie rambled. “But in order for me to do that, I’m going to need a new lab partner.”

“Me too. I can’t work with her,” Dustin added much less eloquently. 

“Lab partners are pre-determined. What’s done is done,” Dr. Collins said uninterestedly, looking back down at his desk.

“I understand that, sir, but can’t an exception be made this once?” Suzie asked.

“If I were to switch you two, that means I’d be disrupting another pair of lab partners who were already acquainted today just for your convenience,” Dr. Collins said. “Then if anyone else came to me asking for a partner switch, I would have to comply. At that point, I may as well have not pre-determined the pairings.”

“I’m not trying to make things difficult,” Suzie said sweetly, and Dustin couldn’t hold back a scoff next to her. “But it would be better for us-”

“We know each other. We dated several years ago, and things didn’t end the greatest. We aren’t going to work well together. Can you please make an exception?” Dustin interjected bluntly, and Suzie glared at him for sharing so much information.

“While I am sorry for your past romantic blunders, I do not concern myself with the personal relationships of my students,” Dr. Collins said. “You either need to work together, or one or both of you may drop the course.”

Neither Dustin nor Suzie spoke.

“Is that all?” Dr. Collins asked, and both Dustin and Suzie nodded.

Dr. Collins exited the classroom, leaving Dustin and Suzie standing awkwardly alone. Finally, Dustin broke the silence.

“So, are you going to drop the course?” he asked.

“Absolutely not,” Suzie said. “Are you?”

“No way. I’m not going to screw with my classes just because you showed up,” Dustin replied.

“Well, neither am I,” Suzie said.

“So now what do we do?” Dustin asked.

“The only thing we can do,” Suzie sighed. “We act like adults and work together.”

Dustin grimaced at the proposition, but he knew it was the only solution.

“Fine,” he said reluctantly.

He watched as Suzie walked briskly out of the classroom, and Dustin thought to himself that this was going to be a long semester.

Around four o’clock that afternoon, El was finished with her classes for the day, and she was walking toward Mike and Will’s dorm room. She knew Mike still wouldn’t be finished for the day for a couple hours, but Will should be in his room, and El wanted to see how her adoptive brother’s first day went.

She arrived and knocked on the door, and Will soon answered with a smile. El could sense that the smile was a façade. His eyes looked sad.

“Hey,” El smiled warmly as she walked inside. “How was your first day of classes?”

“It was okay,” Will shrugged.

“Just okay?” El asked as she sat on Mike’s bed.

“I mean, the classes themselves were great,” Will said, sitting on his own bed and facing her. “I loved the classes, and my professors were all cool. I’m really going to like the courses I’m taking.”

“So then what’s the problem?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

Will’s cheeks blushed slightly as he looked down. He was kind of embarrassed to admit what the problem was. Was he being stupid? It was only his first day, after all.

“Will?” El pressed on.

“Fine,” Will sighed. “I want to make new friends… You and Mike are great, but obviously I can’t count on hanging out with you all the time-”

“I’m sorry Mike didn’t make it back last night,” El said. She was sure Will didn’t mean to, but the way he had phrased that had stung. “We lost track of time, and we just kind of fell asleep.”

“Look, El, you don’t have to lie. I know you guys didn’t just fall asleep,” Will said. “You don’t have to tell me details, either, because I don’t want to know. But I know that you guys like having all this time to yourselves without having to worry about parents, and I know that you having a single room makes that easier… It’s kind of been like this since you guys got back together in February, so I’m not really surprised.”

“Wow, Will, I’m sorry-”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Will said quickly. “Really, I’m so happy for both of you, and I’m happy you got back together. It’s just that you two have your own relationship, and with the rest of the party gone, I want to make new friends so I’m not alone all the time when you and Mike are spending time together.”

“That makes sense,” El admitted.

“But the problem is I have no idea how to do that,” Will continued.

“What do you mean?” El asked.

“Making friends when you’re a kid is easy. Making friends now?” Will said. “I literally talked to one person all day – if you can call it that. I said hi and told him my name, and then I just didn’t know what to say next. Am I that awkward of a person that I don’t know how to have a conversation?”

El thought back to the two years that she and the Byers family lived away from Hawkins. She didn’t remember Will bringing friends to the house or going over to friends’ houses like he did in Hawkins, and he had always seemed more down than normal.

“I know I can’t completely relate because I didn’t have my first friend until I was twelve, and that happened because Mike found me and explained what a friend was. Then I just kind of had Mike and all of you,” El said. “But now, I mean, just be yourself.”

“That’s the cliché,” Will sighed.

“Well there’s got to be truth to it,” El said. “For someone to really be your friend, you want them to know you and like you for you. The person you talked to today, was there anything you could’ve used to strike up more of a conversation? Did you like his bag or his shoes or something? You’re in the same class, so maybe say something about what you’re learning that day.”

“I guess,” Will sighed. “It was just so hard in Hawkins. I was the nerd, I was Zombie Boy. Here, I feel like I can have a fresh start. I don’t want to be a nobody.”

“You’re not a nobody,” El said firmly. “College is new to all of us, and it will take some time for us to fit in and get used to it.”

“You’re right,” Will nodded. “Thanks, El.”

“Of course,” El smiled.

Will and El spent the rest of the time talking about what they did in their classes, and then Will showed El the syllabus for his graphic design class and started telling her all about what he was already planning for his final project.

A little after six o’clock, Mike came into the dorm room. He sighed and dropped his backpack on his desk chair.

“Hi!” El exclaimed, a smile brightening her face as she reached her arms out in front of her, gesturing for Mike to come join her on his bed.

“Hey, baby, how was your day?” Mike asked as he walked over to her.

He stopped in front of her and took both her hands in his before leaning down to give her a peck on the lips.

“It was great. How was yours?” El asked.

“It was fine, but I’m starving. Can we go eat?” Mike asked.

“Yeah. Will, do you want to come?” El offered.

“No, thanks. I’m really not hungry yet,” Will replied.

“Alright, I’ll see you in a little while,” Mike said to Will as he and El started toward the door.

Mike and El decided to eat on campus in the student union food court. El watched as Mike practically inhaled his food, and he looked up to see her watching him.

“I didn’t have a chance to eat between any of my classes,” he explained.

“How were your classes?” El asked.

“They were good. We didn’t really do much in any of them today, but I think I’m going to like them for the most part,” Mike replied. “What about you? Did your nerves calm down any?”

“They did,” El replied. “It’s still weird not having any of my friends in my classes, but I met a few nice people today.”

“Already? That’s great,” Mike said.

“Yeah. I’m kind of worried about Will,” El said.

“Why?” Mike asked, furrowing his brow.

“I think he’s afraid that you and I are going to forget about him and he’s going to be alone a lot of the time,” El replied.

“I knew he would be upset that I stayed with you two nights in a row,” Mike muttered.

“He didn’t seem really upset or anything, but he wants to make some friends so he has other people when you and I aren’t around,” El explained.

“Makes sense,” Mike shrugged.

“But he’s struggling with that,” El said.

“Well, Will has always been on the quiet side, and the way he was treated in Hawkins didn’t really do much for his self-esteem,” Mike said.

“I know,” El agreed.

“But he’s a great guy. He’s one of the best people I know. I’m sure he’ll make some friends in no time,” Mike said.

“I hope so, but maybe until then we should pay a little more attention and make sure not to leave Will out,” El suggested.

“I think you’re right,” Mike agreed. “How about I walk you back to your dorm and then I go hang out with him and try to make up for bailing on him last night?”

“Okay,” El nodded, slightly reluctantly.

When they finished eating, Mike walked El back to her dorm room as the sun was starting to set. Mike leaned down to kiss her and was alarmed by the sad look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I just really like it when you spend the night,” El admitted. “I sleep better.”

“El, it’s only been a few days,” Mike said.

“I know. And I’ve slept better on the nights that you stayed with me overnight,” El repeated. “I don’t like being alone.”

“You know I’d sleep with you every night if I could. But you slept alone at home in Hawkins. What’s wrong with it now?” Mike asked.

“At the house, mom and Will were right down the hallway. Here, I’m completely alone when you don’t stay with me,” El explained.

Mike squeezed her hands reassuringly.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” he asked, and El sighed.

“That would really piss Will off,” she said. “Go on back to your dorm. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, but you know if you need me you can call my dorm at any time,” Mike reminded her.

“I know,” El smiled before leaning up to kiss him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow though,” Mike said, and El nodded.

“I think I might go call Max and see how she’s doing at Indiana State,” El said.

“Okay. Well, good night. If you need anything, call me,” Mike said and leaned down to kiss her again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” El replied.

Mike left and El locked the door behind him. She sighed and looked around her room, wishing again that Joyce had let her have a roommate. Not having a roommate was great on nights when Mike stayed, but not on nights like these when she was alone.

El hopped onto her bed and picked up the phone, dialing the number to Max’s dorm room at Indiana State. After a few rings, El heard the familiar voice of her best friend.

“Hello?”

“Max!” El smiled into the phone.

“El! Hey! How are you?” Max asked, just as excited to hear El’s voice.

“I’m good. I had my first day of classes today, and it was great,” El replied.

“That’s good to hear,” Max said. “Mine were good, too. Thankfully I had all afternoon classes because I was feeling rough after this weekend.”

“Were you sick? What happened?” El asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

“My roommate Sarah has connections and knew where some good parties were,” Max explained. “I had a bit of a hangover today.”

“Oh,” El said.

She wished again she could have a roommate. Then she found herself wondering how close Max was going to get with this Sarah girl.

“You should come stay with us sometime. You’d like Sarah. I’ve already told her so much about you,” Max suggested.

El smiled; it made her feel better to know that Max was telling her new friend about her.

“I will. You’ll have to come here sometime, too,” El said.

“Sure, that could be fun,” Max agreed. “How are Mike and Will?”

“They’re good,” El replied, deciding not to spread the conversation she and Will had had.

“I bet Mike loves that you have that room all to yourself,” Max teased, and El rolled her eyes.

“Well, yeah, he does,” she admitted.

“You two are still doing okay?” Max asked.

“We’re way better than okay,” El replied. “Our relationship has been amazing ever since we got back together. It was great before, but now it’s… I don’t know… it’s different somehow.”

“Because you’ve been through the ringer and came back together,” Max said, and El smiled.

“How are you and Lucas doing?” El returned the question.

“We’re good,” Max replied, though El could hear the uncertainty in her voice. “He called me earlier today and talked about trying out for the football team.”

“Really? That would be awesome,” El said.

“Yeah, it would,” Max agreed. “But, hey, El, I’ve got to get off of here. I’ll talk to you later, okay? We can plan a weekend for one of us to visit.”

“Okay,” El said. “Have a good night, and call me any time.”

El hung up with Max and laid down on her back, looking up at the ceiling. They were all growing up. She and Mike were stronger than ever. Will was wanting to branch out. Max was partying. Lucas was trying out for football. El furrowed her brow when she realized she didn’t know what Dustin was up to. She actually hadn’t talked to Lucas or Dustin herself since the night they had the bonfire in her backyard. Things were definitely different; college was different. And El was ready for whatever college had to bring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am so glad you all enjoyed the first chapter and that you are just as excited as I am that this story is here! Thank you for all the feedback. Please let me know your thoughts after this chapter. Enjoy!

Lucas couldn’t wait to hit the showers. He had spent hours today and yesterday under the hot August sun running up and down the field trying to prove that he deserved a spot on the football team. He had passed his physical two days ago, and that was the easy part. Lucas was sure that in the two days that followed, he exercised more than he had during gym class throughout his entire high school career, but it felt incredible.

After passing the physical and a few hours of running drills yesterday, the walk-ons got to practice with the existing team today. There were not a lot of open spots, but Lucas hoped he impressed the right people enough to secure one for himself.

It was the best shower Lucas had ever taken. The hot beads of water soothed his aching muscles and washed away the sweat and dirt, and he was reluctant to turn it off. When he was getting dressed by the lockers, he noticed a couple of the upperclassmen talking amongst themselves and looking his direction.

“Hey, what’s your name, man?” asked one of them.

“Lucas Sinclair,” Lucas replied.

“Looking good out there, Sinclair,” the upperclassman said.

“Thanks, man,” Lucas said.

“My name’s Marcus, and this is Deonte,” the upperclassman introduced himself and the guy next to him who he had been speaking with before addressing Lucas.

“Wait – Marcus, as in Marcus Baker?” Lucas asked, and his question was answered by the amused grin that crossed Marcus’s face.

“That’s me,” he confirmed.

Marcus Baker was a junior and would be the starting quarterback this year since last year’s starter graduated. Lucas had heard Marcus’s name more times than he could count since arriving on campus last week.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Lucas said.

“Hey, you too, man,” Marcus replied. “Hopefully we’ll be seeing you around. We could really use young talent like you on the team.”

“Thanks, that means a lot,” Lucas said, feeling hopeful about his chances.

“Good luck, Sinclair,” Marcus said before he and Deonte left the locker room.

Lucas walked back to his room with a new sense of pride and a smile on his face. He had caught the attention of at least two upperclassman, and one of them was arguably the most important player on the team. Surely, that had to mean something. Maybe the coaches would take the existing team members’ opinions into consideration and Marcus would put in a good word for him? Maybe Lucas wouldn’t even need that to happen because the coaches noticed his talent on their own. Of course, Lucas hoped that was the case, but he still couldn’t help but feel happy about being noticed by members of the team, too.

He got back to his room around 8PM and decided to call Max. She would be done with classes by now and should have had enough time to get dinner and be back to her room. He dialed her number and listened to the phone ring three times before she answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, babe, it’s me,” Lucas said cheerfully.

“Sounds like you have some good news,” Max said encouragingly.

“Not the good news you’re thinking of – not yet, at least,” Lucas replied. “But try-outs finished up today. We had to practice with the actual team. There are only four or five spots open, and we find out tomorrow who made the cut.”

“Well, good luck. I’m sure you did great,” Max said.

“That’s what I’m so happy about,” Lucas said. “After the showers, Marcus Baker – the starting quarterback – told me I did a good job and he hopes to see me on the team.”

“Lucas, that’s amazing!” Max exclaimed. “That’s got to be a good sign.”

“I thought so, too. But I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. I’ll find out for sure tomorrow,” Lucas said.

“I understand. But I’m already so proud of you,” Max said.

“Thanks, babe,” Lucas smiled. “Hey, do you still want to come down next weekend?”

“Absolutely,” Max replied. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” Lucas said, and then they were both silent for a moment. “But how are things going? First week is almost over.”

“So far, so good,” Max shrugged. “I have a meeting with my academic advisor tomorrow afternoon. I don’t know why they thought I’d make up my mind about a major after one week of classes.”

“They’re just trying to help,” Lucas said reassuringly.

“I know,” Max sighed. “I just have no idea what I want to do with my life.”

“You’re only eighteen. It’s not like you don’t have time,” Lucas said. “I don’t know for sure what I want to be, either.”

“No, but you know the field you want to be in, so you’ve at least declared a major. I literally have no idea,” Max pointed out. “You, Will, El, Mike, Dustin… you all pretty much know what you want to do.”

“We think we do right now,” Lucas said. “But we’re all eighteen. People change their minds all the time. Mike said Nancy changed her major twice before she found what she really wanted to do, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember her having to take summer classes to get the requirements in because of it, too, if she wanted to graduate on time,” Max said.

“Look, it’ll all work out. You have plenty of time, and something will come to you,” Lucas said. “I’m proud of you for waiting and not just picking something you aren’t passionate about.”

“I guess that’s true,” Max sighed. “Thanks, Stalker.”

“Any time, MadMax,” Lucas smiled. “But I just wanted to let you know about try-outs and see how you were doing. I’m going to get off here so I can go get something to eat before the dining halls close.”

“Okay. Have a good night,” Max said.

“You too, babe. Love you,” Lucas said.

“Love you, too,” Max replied. “Bye.”

As Max hung up the phone, her roommate Sarah was closing the door behind her, having just come into the room.

“Was that the boyfriend?” Sarah asked, dropping her backpack onto her desk chair and kicking her shoes at her closet.

“Yeah. He’s trying out for the football team, and he should know tomorrow if he made it,” Max replied.

“Oh, that’s cool,” Sarah smiled. “I didn’t know you were dating a football player.”

“He didn’t play in high school. He just always played for fun with family, but he thought he’d give it a shot,” Max explained.

“That makes sense,” Sarah nodded. “Anyway, what are you doing tomorrow night?”

“I don’t know yet,” Max replied.

“My sister said the Kappas are having a huge party at their off-campus house,” Sarah said. “You should come with me.”

“I’m really not big on sorority girls,” Max replied.

Truthfully, the only sorority girl Max had ever known was Robin’s friend Abby, and Abby didn’t end up leaving her with the best impression.

“It’s not like it’s a recruitment event or anything. It has nothing to do with the sorority other than it’s at their house,” Sarah said.

“I guess that’s true,” Max considered.

“Come on, don’t tell me last weekend was a one-time thing,” Sarah said. “You were wild.”

Max laughed and thought back to how much fun they had last weekend.

“It wasn’t a one-time thing. Alright, we’ll go,” Max replied.

“Awesome! It’s going to be a blast,” Sarah said.

“Can’t wait,” Max smiled.

In West Lafayette, Mike, El, and Will were in Mike and Will’s room watching a movie. Mike’s parents had let him take the television and VCR from the basement since he was really the only one who spent time down there anyway. Will was propped up on his own bed munching on a bag of chips, and Mike and El were cuddled together on Mike’s bed. 

El loved that the three of them could have movie nights together in Mike and Will’s room. It reminded her of movie nights in the basement, only half of the party wasn’t there. She snuggled closer to Mike, intertwining her fingers with his, and she felt him kiss the top of her head. 

When the end credits began rolling, Will stood up and turned off the VCR and television.

“What did you think?” he asked, putting the tape back into its box.

“I liked it. It gave me another reason to never want to swim again, though,” El replied.

“Yeah, Jaws can have that effect on some people,” Mike chuckled.

“Not you?” El asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

“I’ve seen it about a hundred times,” Mike shrugged. “It came out when I was, like, four years old. It’s the first movie I remember seeing at the drive-in.”

“Your parents took you to see Jaws when you were four?” Will asked, raising his eyebrows.

“You know how responsible my parents are,” Mike chuckled. “Besides, that’s back when they still tried to do things as a family.”

“True. We never went to the drive-in as a family when my parents were together,” Will said.

“What do you mean by drive-in?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

Mike and Will both paused and shared a look over El’s head. With as far as she has come over the last six years, they would oftentimes forget that she didn’t experience all the normal things they did in childhood. There were still times when El would ask Mike what something meant that he never would have given a second thought about her not experiencing before. This was one of those times.

“You know how we normally go see movies at a movie theatre?” Mike asked, and El nodded. “A drive-in is kind of like an outdoor theatre. The movie is still played on a big screen, but you stay in your car and listen to it through the radio.”

“Oh. We’ve never done that,” El said.

“No, we haven’t. The one in Hawkins closed down about ten years ago, and I haven’t been to one since,” Mike replied. “But I’m sure there’s one around here. We could see what’s playing and go tomorrow night if you want.”

“Okay. That sounds fun,” El nodded, her face lighting up with excitement.

Mike’s heart still skipped a beat seeing her get so happy and excited about what he would consider simple things. He had always loved her curiosity, and he loved showing her new things. He pressed a kiss against her forehead, and then El turned forward and leaned back to snuggling against him again.

“Do you want to come, Will?” Mike asked.

“Do I want to come with you two to a drive-in theatre tomorrow night? I think I’ll pass. Thanks, though,” Will replied.

“Why not?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

“I just think we’d all have a better time if I wasn’t tagging along,” Will said vaguely, trying to hold back his smirk. “I’m sure you’ll agree.”

El felt Mike laugh behind her, and she shrugged and decided to let the topic go. She would find out what was so different about the drive-in tomorrow night.

“Well, I should get back to my room for the night,” El said, reluctantly pulling out of Mike’s arms and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Okay, I’ll walk with you,” Mike said.

“You don’t have to do that. It’s already midnight,” El said.

“I’m not letting my girlfriend walk through campus by herself at midnight,” Mike scoffed.

“El, why don’t you just stay here for the night,” Will suggested, to both Mike and El’s surprise.

“Really?” El asked.

“That wouldn’t be weird for you?” Mike added.

“I mean, not really,” Will shrugged. “When we would all six have sleepovers, you two always slept under the same blanket. It’s not much different from that. Plus, I don’t want you out by yourself this late, either.”

“Thanks, Will,” El smiled.

When Will left the room to take a shower and get ready for bed, Mike pulled El backward so she was laying on his bed, and he propped himself up on his elbow to hover over her. He leaned in to kiss her, and El wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

Mike slipped his hand underneath El’s shirt and began squeezing her breasts, feeling her nipples harden under his fingers.

“Mike,” El whimpered, squeezing her thighs together.

“Yeah?” Mike breathed next to her ear, his breath on her skin making her shiver.

“Will just went to shower. W-we should get ready for bed,” El said with all her willpower.

“I agree. We can start by taking our clothes off,” Mike smirked as he lifted El’s shirt over her head and looked down at her breasts which were peeking out of the cups of the black bra that Mike had pushed to the side.

“Will’s going to be coming back,” El reminded him.

Mike lowered his face to her tits and took one of her hard nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it while he squeezed the flesh of her other breast.

“Not for about fifteen minutes,” he said when he pulled his mouth off of her. “We can do a lot in fifteen minutes.”

El giggled, knowing he was right. She relaxed her thighs underneath him, and she felt the hardness in Mike’s pants press against her. Mike unhooked her bra and tossed it onto the floor with her shirt. He wanted to dive back into her tits and flick and suck on her nipples all night. He loved her boobs. But, he was on a time crunch, and there were other areas that needed attention.

Mike pulled her pants and panties off at the same time and kneeled between her open legs, her pink pussy ready for him. He pulled his shirt over his head while El started unfastening his pants, and then he kicked those to the floor as well.

He wanted to bury his face between her legs and lick every inch of her pussy, tasting her sweet arousal while she cried his name, but he knew time was already dwindling while he sat there admiring her body. Foreplay would have to wait until next time.

Mike positioned himself on top of her and passionately connected their lips once more, his tongue granted immediate access into El’s mouth. He rubbed his fingers up and down her slit, spreading her wetness around her pussy lips, and his cock began throbbing in anticipation. El whimpered beneath him when he slid two fingers into her.

“Does that feel good?” he whispered as he moved his kisses to her neck and pumped his fingers into her.

“Yeah,” El whimpered.

She reached down between their bodies and grasped his hard cock in her hand, and Mike moaned against her neck. El moved her hand up and down his shaft, spreading his precum along the length. She guided his cock to her clit and began rubbing it against her nub, sending waves of pleasure throughout her body.

Mike couldn’t take it anymore; she was swirling his cock around her clit, coating the tip of him with her arousal. He pulled his fingers out of her and placed his hand overtop of hers on his cock to guide it down to her opening. Then, Mike thrusted inside of her in one movement.

“Ah!” El cried out, gripping onto him and digging her nails into his back.

“Fuck,” Mike sighed in a ragged breath as he felt her tight walls welcome him inside.

He began thrusting, picking up speed immediately. El wrapped her legs around Mike’s waist, angling her hips just right and thrusting upward to meet him each time so he could go as far inside as possible.

“Oh god… oh fuck, Mike. Ah,” she was moaning while she writhed underneath him.

“El… God, you feel amazing… So fucking tight,” Mike grunted.

El dragged her nails down Mike’s back and back up to his shoulder blades, the sting turning him on even more. He pounded into her, feeling himself getting closer to the edge with each thrust.

“Oh, fuck,” he breathed. “I’m gonna cum, El… I want you to cum with me, baby. Will you cum with me?”

“Yes, Mike,” El hissed, tightening her legs around him to hold him even deeper inside her.

Mike snaked his fingers in between their bodies and rubbed her clit vigorously, causing El to cry out as her pussy clamped down around him.

“Mike!” she cried as the waves of pleasure crashed over her.

Her pussy constricted as she came, and Mike met her orgasm with his own, cumming deep inside her.

“Fuck… fuck… oh my god, El,” Mike grunted as he thrusted more slowly into her while he finished.

Mike felt El relax underneath him. Her legs unclamped from around him and fell onto the bed, and she was breathing heavily. He raised his face to hers and kissed her softly on the lips.

“I love you so much,” he murmured against her lips.

El smiled and pulled his lips back to hers.

“I love you more,” she grinned.

Mike chuckled and shook his head. He had given up on the argument that that was not possible. He kissed the tip of her nose and pulled himself out of her.

“Look at that, we still have a few minutes to spare,” Mike smiled, and El rolled her eyes.

“Can you toss me something to wear to bed, please? I don’t want to get up,” she said.

Mike pulled a pair of boxers, shorts, and a t-shirt out of his dresser for himself and then tossed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to El. They both dressed, and Mike tossed his clothes into his clothes hamper and laid El’s on his desk chair so it was not as obvious what they had been doing.

A few minutes later, when Will opened the door after coming back from his shower, he walked in to see Mike and El both laying on their left sides, Mike snuggling El from behind, as if they had just been hanging out and cuddling the whole time.

Will locked the door, turned out the light, and crawled into his bed. They all bid each other good night, and it did not take long for El to fall into a peaceful sleep with Mike’s arms wrapped around her.

The next day was Friday. It was finally the end of their first week of college, and up in Michigan, Dustin was wondering how he was going to make it all the way until the end of the semester in December. All of his classes were great – fantastic, even – and he loved everything about them… except his chemistry course with Suzie. Luckily, they had not interacted much. They sat next to each other and did not speak during the lectures. Dustin often watched out of the corner of his eye while his ex-girlfriend diligently took notes and never once looked his way. It was like she didn’t even realize he existed.

But today, she would have to. On Fridays, their regular one-hour chemistry lecture was followed by a two-hour lab. Dustin would be next to Suzie for three whole hours every Friday, and two of those hours they would be forced to work together. 

The chemistry lecture went on like normal. Dustin and Suzie each took notes, neither of them acknowledged the other. When it was time to transition into the lab portion of the day, Dustin and Suzie each turned to face each other with a frown. This was going to be a long semester.

Dr. Collins passed out the instructions for their first lab. Luckily, as Dustin skimmed over it, it would not take the full two hours. This was clearly an introductory lab to familiarize everyone with the materials they would be using over the course of the semester.

“Throughout the semester, some labs will take you longer than others to complete,” Dr. Collins addressed the class. “When you are finished, you are dismissed, whatever time that is. Make sure you follow the instructions exactly and write the answers to the questions in your lab notebooks. Turn your lab notebooks in to me on your way out so I can grade your work by next Friday.”

With these simple instructions, the rest of the class got immediately to work. Dustin looked at Suzie who was looking back at him with pursed lips and a look of annoyance.

“Look,” he sighed. “This isn’t going to be fun for either one of us, okay? But we need to work together. Can you put aside the fact that you hate me-”

“You think I hate you?” Suzie asked. “God, boys are stupid.”

“What, you don’t hate me?” Dustin asked, raising his eyebrows.

Suzie sighed and rolled her eyes before flipping to the first page of instructions. She put her safety goggles on over her glasses and began pulling out the necessary materials.

“I mean, because I don’t hate you either. Things are kind of awkward, but I mean, just because things ended-”

“Do you have a bunsen burner on your side?” Suzie interrupted him, pointing toward the cabinet on Dustin’s side of their lab table. “I don’t have one over here, and we need one.”

“Suzie, I’m trying to talk to you,” Dustin said.

“Yes, and I’m trying to do this lab so I can leave and enjoy my weekend,” Suzie replied.

“But we have to work together all semester, so I think we should-”

“That’s right. We have to work together in chem labs. That’s it,” Suzie said firmly. “Now, do you have a bunsen burner, or do I need to ask Dr. Collins to find us one?”

Dustin gaped at her, dumbfounded by her complete lack of cooperation. He was just trying to make it easier for both of them to be able to work together. 

“Fine,” Suzie said, and she turned to start walking to the front of the classroom.

“Hold on, hold on, I’ll look,” Dustin said quickly, and Suzie turned back to face him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Dustin opened the cabinet door on his side and pulled out the bunsen burner Suzie had requested.

“Thank you. Now, let’s get to work,” Suzie said, and Dustin bit his tongue, deciding it would be best to just focus on their chemistry labs. After today, they would only have fifteen more weeks. How long could that really drag on?

In Will’s graphic design class, he was thinking about the advice that El had given him on their first day. He still had not struck up a conversation with any of his classmates, and he didn’t want to get too far into the semester without making any friends. Soon, everyone would have their own friend groups, and Will would be a loner all over again. He did not want that.

Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw as his classmate Adam pulled his textbook out of his backpack, and a certain color scheme caught his eye. Will turned to look at Adam’s open backpack.

“Is that X-Men?” he asked.

Adam, taken slightly off guard, looked down inside his backpack and nodded.

“Yeah,” he smiled, pulling out the comic book. “I have an hour break after this class, and I don’t want to go back to my room between classes, so I brought something to keep me occupied.”

“Well, that’s a great choice,” Will said.

“You think so?” Adam asked.

“Oh yeah,” Will nodded.

“Did you know there’s a comic book store on Main Street, just a couple blocks from campus?” Adam asked.

“No, I haven’t gotten the chance to explore off campus yet,” Will replied.

“Well, I’m done with my last class at 3:30 today, and I’m going to go check it out afterward. Do you want to come?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, definitely!” Will replied, immediately hoping he did not sound overly eager.

“Awesome,” Adam smiled. “Meet me at the front of the student union around 3:40?”

“I’ll be there,” Will smiled back.

Will breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally making his first friend outside of the party. El’s advice had worked.

The rest of Will’s classes passed by, and at 3:30, he started making his way to the student union to meet up with Adam. For some reason, he felt his pulse quickening, probably at the idea of hanging out with someone new. Will scolded himself for being so awkward and anxious that making a new friend could make him feel that way.

Will arrived at the student union and saw Adam waiting by the front door. He waved, and the two of them met up. They walked to the edge of campus and headed down the street toward the comic book store.

“So how did you hear about this place? The comic book store,” Will asked. “Are you from around here?”

“No, I’m actually from Iowa,” Adam replied. “But it’s basically tradition in my family to go to Purdue. My grandpa went to school here, both of my parents went here and actually met here, and my older brother and sister both went here. My brother graduated two years ago, and my sister is a senior this year. So I was practically destined to go here.”

“Wow,” Will said. “That’s really cool.”

“I guess,” Adam shrugged. “What about you? Are you from around here?”

“No, I’m from a small town called Hawkins. It’s a couple hours away,” Will replied.

“Still in Indiana?” Adam asked.

“Yeah,” Will nodded.

“That’s unfortunate,” Adam chuckled. “Not that Iowa is any better. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

“You don’t plan on going back home after college?” Will asked.

“It’s complicated,” Adam sighed. “I would much rather get out of this part of the country and live in a big city – New York, Chicago. There aren’t as many small-minded people in bigger cities. But leaving home would complicate things with my dad. He has his mind made up about what he wants for me and my brother and sister, and I don’t really know if moving away would be worth losing my third of everything.”

The realization hit Will that Adam must come from money.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What does your dad do?” Will asked.

“He and my uncle have a law firm. They started it twenty years ago, and that’s why me and my siblings all went pre-law,” Adam explained. “It’s easier to do what he wants than have to deal with student loans and financial aid.”

Lots of money, Will realized. Adam’s dad was paying his way through college if Adam followed his dad’s plans for him.

“So, then what are you doing in a graphic design class?” Will wondered.

“My dad said I could take one class of my choosing that was unrelated to law each semester as long as I keep my grades up,” Adam replied.

“Wow. That sounds rough,” Will said.

Will was sure it was nice growing up with money, not having to watch your parents struggle to keep the lights on or food on the table. But it didn’t sound like Adam’s dad cared much about his children’s happiness, which was something that Will knew his mom always put above all else.

“It’s whatever,” Adam shrugged. “Parents, right?”

“Yeah,” Will scoffed. “My dad sucks, too.”

“Oh really?” Adam asked.

“Yeah. He and my mom divorced when I was young, and my dad was never really interested in my interests or what made me happy. We’ve never really had a relationship,” Will explained.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Adam said.

“It’s whatever,” Will shrugged, parroting Adam’s earlier statement.

Adam glanced over and offered a friendly smile which Will returned. They walked the rest of the way to the comic book store in silence. When they arrived, they browsed through the stacks of comic books, and Will found the Superman comic he had been looking for.

“Good choice,” Adam said, looking at what was in Will’s hand.

“I left it on the table overnight once, and my mom spilled coffee on it. I’ve been wanting to replace it, but I haven’t found it,” Will explained.

“Well, it looks like you just did,” Adam said.

Will glanced at the price sticker on it and shook his head.

“Now that I know it’s here, I can come back for it another time,” he said. “I just came to look today, not to buy any.”

Will put the comic back, and he and Adam continued browsing. Adam had a small selection of comic books in his hand, and after twenty minutes, he said he was finished shopping.

“I’ll go check out and meet you up front,” Adam said, and Will nodded.

Will continued to browse as he meandered to the front of the store. A few minutes later, Adam joined him with a shopping bag in his hand.

“Ready to go?” Adam asked.

“Yep,” Will said.

They walked back to campus talking about what each of them were planning for their final project in their graphic design class. Will was happily surprised to have found a friend who looked as far ahead in the syllabus as he had and was already discussing the final project. When they reached the student union, Will and Adam were about to separate to go to their own dorms.

“I live this way,” Will said and pointed. “It was cool hanging out with you, though. Thanks for showing me that store.”

“We should go again sometime, or get lunch or something,” Adam said. “Oh, and Will… Here.”

Will watched as Adam slipped his hand into his shopping bag and pulled out the Superman comic book Will had been looking at back at the store. Adam handed it out to him.

“It probably would’ve been gone before you made it over there again,” Adam said.

“Thanks, Adam. I’ll pay you back for it in class next week,” Will said, accepting the book.

“Don’t worry about it,” Adam said, shaking his head. “But have a good weekend.”

“You too,” Will replied.

Will slid the comic book into his backpack and headed back to his dorm, feeling happier than he had all week.

Max was in her dorm room with Sarah, and they were getting ready for the party the Kappas were throwing. She was just finishing up her makeup, applying a deep shade of red to her lips, when the phone rang.

“Hello?” she heard Sarah answer. “Oh, no, this is her roommate. Let me get her real quick.”

Max turned around as Sarah walked toward her carrying the phone.

“It’s for you,” Sarah said, holding the phone out to Max. “I think it’s your boyfriend.”

“Hello?” Max said into the phone.

“Hope you’re ready to deliver on that congratulatory sex next weekend,” came Lucas’s voice, and Max smiled at the excitement in it.

“You made the team?!” she asked.

“I made the team!” Lucas exclaimed.

“Congratulations, babe. I’m so proud of you,” Max said.

“Thanks, baby,” Lucas smiled. “I wish you were here to celebrate with me tonight.”

“What are you doing tonight?” Max asked.

“Nothing. I’ll just be chilling in my dorm room,” Lucas replied. “But tomorrow night Marcus and Deonte are having a party for the team.”

“That sounds like fun,” Max said.

“It should be,” Lucas agreed. “I’m so excited right now.”

“Good,” Max smiled. “I’m really happy for you. I can’t wait to see you next weekend.”

“What are you doing tonight?” Lucas asked, returning Max’s question.

“I’m actually getting ready to go to a party tonight with my roommate,” Max replied.

“Partying two weekends in a row?” Lucas asked.

“Last weekend was move-in weekend parties, this weekend is end of first week parties,” Max explained. “Plus, we’re only young once.”

“Just be careful,” Lucas cautioned.

“I will,” Max smiled. “But I’m gonna go finish getting ready.”

“Okay. Have fun. Love you,” Lucas said.

“Love you, too,” Max replied and hung up.

“So it was the boyfriend,” Sarah grinned from her desk chair where she was sitting in front of her mirror doing her makeup. “He sounded sexy.”

“He is sexy,” Max said. “And he made the football team.”

“Even hotter,” Sarah said. “But that’s great.”

“Yeah, I’m happy for him,” Max smiled.

“How long have you two been dating?” Sarah asked.

“Well, off and on for about four or five years. The last six months have been different, though. More committed, you know,” Max replied.

“Wanted to tie him down and get a commitment out of him before going away to college?” Sarah assumed with a grin.

“Actually, that kind of went both ways,” Max chuckled. “We had a very casual relationship, and I was almost always the one to end things and start them back up. Turns out, he had wanted a commitment for longer than I’d realized.”

“Aw, that’s actually really sweet,” Sarah said.

“He is pretty sweet,” Max agreed.

“Where is he going to school again?” Sarah asked.

“Ohio State,” Max frowned.

“Well, it’s awesome that you guys trust each other enough to go to colleges so far away from each other, especially after only six months of a real commitment,” Sarah said. “He must be a really good guy.”

“He is,” Max smiled, though it felt a bit forced.

The more she talked about how great Lucas was, the more guilty she started to feel about the thoughts she had been keeping to herself about their relationship withstanding being separated for college. 

“Hurry up and finish your hair. I want to leave in twenty minutes,” Sarah said suddenly.

Max snapped out of her thoughts and focused on finishing up getting ready.

Twenty minutes later, Max and Sarah were leaving their dorm and on their way to the party off campus. The walk they were taking was quite similar to the route Max, El, Robin, and Abby had taken a year prior, Max noticed. Then again, the party they had gone to that night last year and the party she and Sarah were on their way to tonight were both at Greek houses, and Max assumed the fraternity and sorority houses were near each other.

When Max and Sarah arrived at the party, the door opened to music loud enough to shake the walls. People were packed shoulder to shoulder as they stood talking, making out, and dancing. Max and Sarah walked straight to the kitchen for some drinks, and when they got there, they saw liquor and rows of shot glasses on the counter.

“Start with a shot?” Sarah asked. She had to yell in order for Max to hear her over the music.

“Hell yeah!” Max replied.

Sarah grabbed the closest bottle to her without looking at the label and filled two shot glasses. She handed one to Max, and on the count of three, the two girls downed their first drink of the night.

“Shit, that was smooth,” Max said as she set her shot glass on the counter.

“Want another?” Sarah asked, and Max nodded.

Max and Sarah took another shot and then each filled a plastic cup with the liquid from the communal punch bowl at the end of the counter.

They walked into the living room and saw four frat guys playing beer pong. All the furniture was taken, mostly by couples who were all over each other. Max was fine with that; she didn’t want to sit. The more she drank, the more she wanted to dance.

By the time she finished her first cup, she and Sarah were moving their hips along with the beat of the song that was playing. They returned to the kitchen for some more booze, and they found a girl passing out shots. Sarah and Max each accepted one, and they immediately noticed these shots were doubles as they were in a slightly bigger shot glass.

“What’s in this?” Max asked as she smelled the dark liquid.

“Mostly Jager,” said the girl passing them around.

Max and Sarah tossed back their shots of Jager, and Sarah’s face instantly scrunched up at the taste.

“I need more from that punch bowl. That shit was garbage,” Sarah said, pushing her way to the punch bowl.

They filled up their cups again and went back to the living room. There seemed to be a commotion going on, and the closer they got, Max realized it was a crowd of people cheering. She saw a pair of legs up in the air as if someone was doing a headstand. When she was able to see between some of the crowd, Max noticed that it was a guy doing a headstand over a keg of beer while one of his buddies held his legs up. He was doing a kegstand. Max had heard of these but had never seen one done.

Suddenly, the guy kicked his legs down and stood up, raising his arms into the air while everyone around him cheered. Max rolled her eyes at the display of masculinity before her and took another drink. 

Then, she saw someone else approach the keg, but she was surprised to see that it was a girl. Max watched from behind as the girl tied her blonde hair into a ponytail before positioning herself in front of the keg. Someone was standing, blocking Max’s view partially, so Max only saw the girl’s legs suddenly kick up into the air and the crowd began to cheer.

After several seconds, the girl came down from the kegstand, and the living room erupted in more cheers. When the person who had been blocking Max’s view while holding up the girl’s legs moved to the side, Max’s mouth gaped open at who she saw.

“Hey! I know you!” the blonde girl hollered when her eyes landed on Max. She stumbled her way over. “Max, right?”

“Abby?” Max asked.

“That’s me!” Abby exclaimed, pointing at herself with both hands. “I’m so happy to see you!”

Abby was slurring so much that the entire sentence sounded like one long word, but she leaned forward and threw her arms around Max’s neck, taking her completely aback with the hug.

“D’you go here now?” Abby asked when she pulled back from the hug, and Max nodded. “That’s so awesome! Are you just loving it so far?”

“It’s fun, that’s for-”

“D’you still hate me?” Abby interrupted.

“I-”

“Because, like, that was just so long ago,” Abby continued slurring and not letting Max speak. “But now you’re here, and we can be friends!”

The alcohol had set in, and Max’s head was beginning to spin. She knew she had stopped liking Abby because of the things Abby had said about El last year.

“You were pretty shitty to my best friend,” Max said.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Abby slurred. “Did she get back with that guy though?”

“Yeah,” Max nodded.

“Then none of it really matters if you think about it,” Abby said.

It was probably the alcohol’s influence, but Max decided that Abby had a valid point. Plus, Abby was someone else Max was familiar with, and she knew Abby liked to have a good time. Max reasoned that she and Abby didn’t have to become close friends or anything, but Abby would be fun to have around to party with.

“So what do you say? Forgive me?” Abby asked drunkenly.

“I forgive you,” Max replied.

“Yay!” Abby exclaimed, throwing her arms around Max’s neck again.

“Abby, this is Sarah,” Max said, finally introducing Abby and her roommate.

“Hi!” Abby smiled and waved at Sarah and then looked back to Max. “Did you see my kegstand?”

“Fuck yeah, I did!” Max exclaimed.

“Think you could beat my time?” Abby asked.

“I know I could beat your time,” Max replied, her brain incapable of thinking over her words before spitting them out.

“Have you ever done a kegstand?” Sarah asked from next to Max.

“That’s not important. What’s important is she’s challenging me, and I never lose,” Max said.

“Bring it on!” Abby exclaimed.

She grabbed Max’s hand and dragged her through the crowd to the keg. When the current person came down from it, Abby pushed Max forward.

“Let’s see what you’ve got!” Abby hollered as Max stood in front of the keg.

Max took a deep breath and tried to steady herself as much as possible, but she could not stop her body from swaying. Before she knew it, her hands were on either side of the keg, gripping the handles, and her legs were kicking off the ground. She felt someone behind her help raise her legs and hold her in place while the beer started gushing into her mouth.

Max took swallow after swallow of the foul-tasting liquid. She remembered why she preferred liquor. But, Max was not a quitter, and she was not going to let Abby beat her. Max drank and drank, letting the sound of the crowd cheering fill her ears, and she refused to let up until she could absolutely take no more.

When Max’s feet touched the floor, she fell immediately to the left side, and Sarah had to grab her under the arms to steady her. The crowd was cheering for her, and Max pumped her fist into the air to rile them up some more.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Abby yelled, but she was not angry. Her face was an expression of awe and respect. “You almost tripled my time!”

“I told you. I don’t fucking lose,” Max said, slurring her words worse than Abby.

Max, Abby, and Sarah stumbled their way out of the crowd, and Abby stopped them suddenly and screamed something about her song playing. Everything was a blur, and Max couldn’t focus on anything. All she knew was she didn’t have a care in the world, and she felt like she was floating while she danced the night away.

In West Lafayette, Mike had found that there was a drive-in theatre in town, but he was not impressed with the movie it was playing.

“We might want to wait until they’re playing something else,” he said that evening as he tossed his sandwich wrapper into the trashcan.

Mike, El, and Will had gotten subs from the dining hall on the first floor of their dorm hall for dinner, and now the three of them were up in Mike and Will’s room. Mike and El were discussing their plans for the evening while Will read his new comic book.

“Why do you say that?” El asked.

“They’re just playing Nightmare on Elm Street 5,” Mike replied.

“There are five of those?” Will asked, glancing over his comic book. “Why?”

“I can handle a scary movie, Mike,” El said.

It was true that she had gotten better with horror movies over the years. In the beginning, she would not watch them, but Mike helped assure her that none of it was real, and he even told her how a lot of the props and effects were done. She still didn’t particularly love horror movies – she preferred comedies and even sci-fi films she had seen with Mike – but El wasn’t scared of them, and they didn’t cause her nightmares anymore.

“I know you can handle it. I just thought maybe you’d want to wait until it’s something you actually want to see,” Mike explained.

“I still want to go,” El said.

“Okay, we can go. We’ll want to take a blanket since we’ll have the window down. It could get cold,” Mike said.

“Ooh, so we get to snuggle up together under a blanket in your car all night?” El grinned.

“You two and Freddy Krueger. How romantic,” Will teased as he turned the page in his book.

El pursed her lips and decided to tease her brother right back.

“You know, maybe I will get scared during the movie, and I’ll need you to protect me,” El said playfully, stepping closer to Mike and reaching up to cup the side of his face.

“You two are gross,” Will shuddered, and Mike and El laughed as El pulled away.

“Alright, are you ready to go?” Mike asked as he picked up a folded fleece blanket to take with them.

“Yep,” El smiled.

“Have fun,” Will said as he closed his new comic book and laid it on his desk.

This was the first time Mike got a close look at the cover of the comic book Will had been reading, and he scrunched his forehead in confusion.

“Didn’t you say your mom ruined your copy of that?” Mike asked, pointing at the comic. “I thought that’s the one you wanted to replace.”

“Yeah, I went to a comic book store today on Main,” Will replied.

“By yourself?” Mike asked.

“No, not by myself,” Will scoffed. “I think I actually made a friend in my graphic design class.”

“That’s great, Will!” El exclaimed, hoping her encouragement helped her adoptive brother.

“Yeah, he’s pretty cool. He showed me this comic book store. I’ll take you over there some time,” Will offered, and Mike nodded.

“Alright, well you have a good night. I’m staying over at El’s tonight,” Mike reminded him.

Mike and El left and walked to the student parking lot where Mike’s car was parked. They drove through town to the drive-in theatre and Mike parked them in a spot in the center of the back row. He rolled down the window so they could hear the movie through the provided speaker pole, and then they waited for the movie to begin.

“It really is just like an outdoor movie theatre,” El observed as she looked around.

“That’s really all it is,” Mike said. “But the additional privacy is nice.”

El smiled and slid closer to him, and Mike wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Are you ready to protect me from Freddy Krueger tonight?” she asked playfully, her quip at Will coming back to her mind.

“I would protect you from anything,” Mike said and kissed her forehead. “Or I’d die trying,” he added with a chuckle.

“I would never let that happen,” El said and draped her arm over his stomach to squeeze him around the waist.

Mike lifted her chin up so her eyes met his, and he leaned in to kiss her. They were too caught up in each other to notice when the opening previews started playing.

When the movie started, El reluctantly pulled away from Mike’s lips with a mischievous smile that Mike knew meant there would be more of that later. She rested her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest, and they watched the screen as the movie began.

El was right; she could handle the movie just fine. She jumped a few times, and Mike held her tightly to reassure her. When the ending credits began to roll, El felt Mike slowly rub his hand up and down her back.

“What did you think?” he asked.

“It was okay,” El shrugged.

“Yeah. I really liked the first movie, but they’re making too many,” Mike said.

“Now what?” El asked.

Around them, vehicles were turning on their engines and forming lines to wait and exit the drive-in.

“Now we wait patiently until we can get out of here. If only we had something to do to pass the time,” Mike smirked.

“Michael Wheeler, is that why you parked us all the way in the back?” El asked.

“Maybe,” Mike shrugged.

El smiled and shifted so she was straddling Mike’s hips, facing him, with the blanket wrapped around her back, shielding them from both from any outside view. She crashed her lips into his, tangling her fingers into his hair while he ran his fingers up and down her thighs.

They lost all track of time and kissed until they were the very last car at the drive-in. El finally pulled back when she realized all the glow from the surrounding red taillights was gone. It was just the two of them.

“Will was right. It was better that he didn’t come with us,” she said quietly against Mike’s lips, and Mike laughed before leaning forward to kiss her again.

“Alright, let’s get out of here,” he said.

El slid back onto her seat and Mike started the car and drove them out of the drive-in. He started driving them back toward campus while El watched the night sky out the passenger side window.

“Can we go somewhere else?” she asked suddenly. “I don’t want to go back to my room yet.”

“Like where?” Mike asked, furrowing his brow.

In Hawkins, he knew dozens of places they could go to be alone. But this was new territory.

“I don’t know,” El shrugged. “Anywhere.”

Mike followed the road he was on until they reached the outskirts of town. There were no houses or streetlights, and there were hardly any other cars. He pulled off to the side and parked his car along the trees. Mike rolled the windows halfway down so they could feel the cool night air, and he turned his car off.

El scooted closer to him again on the bench seat, and Mike turned and leaned his back against the door so El could cuddle up to him easier. She pulled the blanket up with her and rested her head on Mike’s chest. They laid silently together, El listening to his heartbeat and feeling the rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took. She closed her eyes and felt only Mike’s body against hers and the cool breeze that blew through the car.

Mike kissed the top of her head, and El automatically smiled against him. She looked at the promise ring on her right hand that Mike had given her a little over six months ago. Usually when El looked at it, she thought of all the promises they had made to each other over the years, and she thought of the future they were planning together. But sometimes when she looked at it, she was reminded of the circumstances behind the night she got that ring. She would remember those long six months that she and Mike spent apart, and she would wonder how she ever could have let herself listen to those ideas in her head that lead her to breaking up with him. 

“What are you thinking about?” Mike asked softly.

El lifted her hand slightly off of his chest to lift up her ring.

“The night you gave me this,” she replied. “The night we got back together.”

“I think about it, too,” Mike said.

He remembered explaining that the infinity symbol on the ring symbolized how he would always love her, and he remembered promising to do anything he can to make her happy. Mike also thought about how it felt sliding that ring onto her right hand and knowing without a doubt that one day he would slide an even more permanent ring onto her left hand.

El leaned up and kissed him softly.

“Thank you for taking me out tonight,” she said.

“I hope you had a good time,” Mike said.

“I did,” El smiled and then leaned in to kiss him again. “I hope you know how much I love you.”

Mike cupped her cheek and brought her lips back to his.

“I love you too, baby,” he said softly against her lips.

They laid there looking up at the stars while the night breeze blew through the car until El eventually fell asleep on Mike’s chest. He watched her sleep and wondered how he could be so lucky to be in love with such an amazing woman who loved him just as much in return. When Mike could barely keep his eyes open any longer, he gently shifted El off of himself and laid her on the seat, still sleeping, and drove them back to campus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading chapter two. I hope you guys like these lengthier chapters. Please remember to leave me a review. I love reading your feedback! Let me know what you like, what you think is going to happen, or anything else you want to tell me. Those who’ve read my stories before know I love hearing your theories! I’ll see you all for chapter three. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome to what I’m pretty sure is the longest chapter I’ve ever written. I want to take a moment to really thank you guys for reading. I know this is a crazy time in the world, and people have a lot going on with Covid, and things just really suck. I also feel like the ST fandom is pretty dry right now since we’re going on a year and a half with no new content (other than the BTS scenes from S4 filming that we are catching glimpses of). I’ve noticed fewer stories are being updated consistently, and I’ve lost a lot of reviewers from my TTWAS days to now. I really hope you’re all doing well in real life and that things in the fandom start to pick back up as we get more content and eventually a season 4. So, I know I say it with every update, but genuinely thank you guys for reading, and thank you for taking the time to leave me your thoughts. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It’s a long one, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!

One evening later that week, Mike and El had just finished dinner at one of the dining halls on campus, and Mike was walking El back to her room for the night.

“Do you want to come in for a little bit?” El asked when they reached her dorm.

“I really shouldn’t. You know a little bit would turn in to all night, and I promised Will we could hang out. I feel like we live together, but I’ve hardly gotten to really talk to him since we got here,” Mike said.

“I understand,” El smiled. “Have a good night, and thanks for dinner.”

She leaned up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Mike’s lips.

“Does it count as taking you to dinner when the food was bought with my university meal plan?” he grinned.

“You know I don’t care about that. Whether it’s a dining hall here or a five-star restaurant in town, I just like being with you,” El said, wrapping her arms around Mike’s waist to pull him closer.

“I’m flattered that you think I could afford to take you to a five-star restaurant,” he chuckled.

“You know what I mean,” El laughed in return. “Whether we get all dressed up and go out like we did on Valentine’s Day, or eat in a dining hall, or curl up in a blanket at a drive-in, I don’t care as long as I’m with you.”

Mike leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips.

“You know you’re making it really hard for me not to come in, right?” he asked, and El smiled innocently before kissing him again.

“I just want to make sure you know I appreciate everything you do for me,” she said.

“I know you do, babe,” Mike said. “That being said, I do want to actually take you out somewhere nice. How about this Saturday?”

“I would love to,” El smiled, her eyes lighting up at the thought of a nice date night.

“Good,” Mike smiled in return. “But I have to go now.”

“I know,” El sighed. She pulled his lips down to hers again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Mike said. 

Then, Mike walked away, and El went inside her room. She sighed and leaned back against the closed door. Sometimes it was still crazy to her that after almost six years, Mike could still make her feel like she was on top of the world. She knew that in a week or two, it would be one whole year since that evening in her bedroom when she had broken Mike’s heart and told him that she wanted them to see other people, thus leading to six of the most emotional and challenging months of her life. There was no denying that when she and Mike got back together six months later, their relationship was stronger than ever. It still was. Knowing that even when they were split up, they still wanted and cared about each other; even though they both dated other people, they couldn’t fully commit to those people because they still loved each other; and even through their breakup, they had still only ever been with each other emotionally and sexually – no one else. El couldn’t think of a better example of soulmates than herself and Mike.

She walked over to her desk and sat down, pulling out her planner that she wrote all her assignment due dates in. El was pursuing writing, a talent and passion of hers that she had discovered last winter while she and Mike were still apart. Four of her five courses this semester were related to that, with her favorite being her creative writing course. It gave her the freedom to explore her creativity and pull from past experiences, and El found that incorporating some of the pain that she experienced throughout her life into her work was therapeutic in a way. According to her planner, she had a short story due at the end of the week, and she had not yet started. El sighed and picked up a pencil, ready to start her brainstorming process. She sat for several minutes, staring at the blank sheet of notebook paper, until she sighed and laid her pencil back down.

Maybe a change of scenery would be helpful. Plus, El had not taken much time out of her room unless she was in class or somewhere with Mike. She gathered her books and decided to go to the lounge in the middle of the hall. 

When El reached the lounge, there were four girls already there. Two were sitting on the couch with their feet propped up on the coffee table flipping through a couple of Cosmos. The other two girls were each at one of the two tables working on schoolwork. El approached the one closest to her.

“Excuse me, do you mind if I join you?” El asked politely.

The girl looked up at El and then dramatically looked at the table that her books were spread out over as if to gesture that there was no room.

“You can sit over here,” called the girl from the other table.

El looked over to see the girl clearing her textbooks to make room for El to join. El looked back to the first girl and nodded politely before walking away.

“Thank you,” El said as she sat in the chair opposite the girl who had welcomed her.

“Don’t mention it,” the girl waved off. “I’m Bethany.”

“El,” El smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Bethany said.

Bethany looked back down at the assignment in front of her and continued working. El opened up her notebook and began trying to brainstorm her topic again. She kept catching herself glancing around the lounge at the other girls. Her conversation with Will about making new friends popped into her mind. She loved her friends from Hawkins, and she knew they would always be the party, but it never hurt to have more than five friends, after all. El had started to make some new friends in the final semester of their senior year of high school when she joined the creative writing club, but it was nothing that survived graduation and moving away to college. 

“What are you working on?” El’s thoughts were interrupted and she looked across the table at Bethany.

“Oh, um, just a short story for my creative writing class,” El replied.

“Cool, what’s it about?” Bethany asked, her green eyes perking up, interested to hear El’s answer.

“I, uh, don’t really know yet. I’m waiting for a topic to come to me,” El replied.

“Ah, so it’s true then? Writers just kind of wait around for inspiration to strike?” Bethany asked.

“Sometimes. But this is due on Friday, so hopefully it strikes soon,” El said. “What are you working on?”

“I’m an early childhood education major, so this is for my child growth and development course,” Bethany replied.

“That sounds really cool,” El said. “Early childhood, so do you want to teach kindergarten?”

“I’ll be able to teach preschool through third grade after I graduate, but ideally I am hoping for kindergarten,” Bethany replied. “The kids are still cute and fun, but they’re old enough to use the bathroom themselves.”

“That does sound like the perfect age,” El laughed.

“I thought so, too. My boyfriend doesn’t understand why I chose early childhood. He thinks I should be a high school teacher because high schoolers are closer to my age and I would be able to have more intelligent conversations with them,” Bethany said. “I just think he’s worried that being around twenty kindergarteners every day will make me never want to have kids.”

“How long have you and your boyfriend been together?” El asked.

“Four years. We dated all throughout high school,” Bethany beamed. “And I know it’s unconventional for people our age to be together for so long, but if we’re in love, then why not?”

“I know exactly what you mean,” El sighed. It was such a relief to hear those thoughts come from another person. “My boyfriend and I met six years ago, and I can’t imagine being with anybody else.”

“Six years?!” Bethany repeated. “Wow, that’s amazing. My friends think I’m crazy for never dating anyone else, and it’s only been four years. Do your friends say anything about you guys dating for six years?”

“He and I are friends with the same people, and they’ve all been really supportive for the most part,” El said. “Last year, I got some bad advice from my best friend and this girl we met when we were visiting a friend at college. I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend so we could see other people and be sure about each other. It was awful. One of the best days of my life was getting back together with him.”

“That’s so sweet,” Bethany smiled. “See, you were both drawn back to each other, and now you know. Hopefully your friend learned something from that, too.”

“I think she did,” El said. “I know she wanted what was best for me.”

“Sometimes it’s hard for some girls to understand that what’s best for you really can be a guy,” Bethany said. “I know I have a friend who is super independent and says she doesn’t need a boyfriend, and that’s great. I don’t need just a boyfriend, either. But what I have with Cam is deeper than that… I’m sorry, we literally just met. I just can’t help myself sometimes when I get to talking about him.”

“No, that’s okay,” El said quickly. “Honestly, I’m the same way about Mike. I could talk about him forever. It’s actually really refreshing to hear someone else think about love the same way as me. My best friend has always had a really casual relationship until recently, and I don’t have a lot of female friends, so it was easier for me to believe that Mike and I were weird for being together so long.”

“Maybe you are,” Bethany shrugged and laughed. “But if you’re happy, who cares if it’s weird?”

“Exactly,” El chuckled. “So you said his name is Cam? Does he go here, too?”

“Yes, his name is Camden, but he goes by Cam. He does go here, and he’s studying business,” Bethany said. “He got a scholarship here for basketball, and that’s what decided where we were going to college. What about Mike? What’s he like?”

“Mike and I also came here together. He’s pre-med-”

“Wow, he’s going to go to med school?” Bethany interjected.

“Yeah, he’s so smart,” El said.

“It sounds like it,” Bethany said. “Does he know where he wants to go to med school yet?”

“Not yet,” El replied. “He has a few in mind that he wants to check out.”

“Well that’s awesome,” Bethany said. “I’d love to meet him some time.”

“Yeah, that would be great,” El smiled.

She and Bethany spent the next several hours going back and forth between talking about each other’s lives to working on their respective assignments. El told Bethany that her brother Will also came to Purdue with them, and when Bethany asked if El and Will were twins, El explained that Will’s mother was a close family friend of her dad and that after her dad passed away, Will’s mother took her in. El learned that Bethany was the youngest of five girls in her family and that she grew up in St. Louis. By the time El looked at the clock hanging on the wall in the lounge, it was almost 10PM.

“Oh my god, I still am nowhere near finishing this story,” El said, looking down at her partial story.

“Good thing you still have a couple days to finish it,” Bethany said.

Then, two guys came into the lounge. One was easily as tall as Mike with blonde wavy hair and muscles that were toned enough for his shirt to cling to. The other was a few inches shorter with red hair and freckles and a more muscular build than the first guy. They walked over to the table where El and Bethany were sitting, and they each sat down in the two open chairs. The blonde guy leaned over to kiss Bethany.

“Hey, babe,” he said.

“Hey,” Bethany beamed. “Cam, this is El. She lives in my hall, and we’ve been getting to know each other.”

“Hey, El. It’s nice to meet you,” Cam said, reaching his hand out for El to shake.

“And this is Jake, Cam’s best friend,” Bethany said, gesturing to the redhead who politely greeted El as well.

“It’s really nice to meet you guys, but I was just about to head back to my room for the night,” El said.

“Hey, what room are you in? We should hang out some more,” Bethany said.

“Yeah, that would be fun,” El smiled. “I’m in 308.”

“Cool. I’m in 324,” Bethany said. “I’ll see you later.”

“Have a good night,” El said.

She picked up her books, told the three of them good night, and returned to her dorm room, happy that she had finally made another female friend.

While El was making friends with Bethany, Mike was in his room spending some quality time with Will that had not happened much since moving to college. They were sitting next to each other on Will’s bed playing the Nintendo that Mike brought from his basement along with the television. 

“Damn it. You’re getting too good at this,” Mike chuckled when Will won again.

“Yeah, well. I spend a lot more time in the room than you do,” Will said.

“I’m sorry we haven’t been hanging out much,” Mike began.

“It’s cool. I get it. You and El need your time together,” Will said, but Mike still felt guilty.

“Yeah, but you and I need time together, too. I miss knowing what’s going on with you. Lucas and Dustin, too. When is the last time you talked to them?” Mike asked.

“I haven’t talked to Lucas since leaving Hawkins. I talked to Dustin on Sunday,” Will replied.

“What do you say we call the others and plan a weekend for all six of us to go home? Just spend the weekend in Hawkins how it used to be,” Mike suggested.

He could tell by the glimmer in Will’s eyes that Will was excited by the thought. Then, Will’s face fell.

“Dustin said Lucas made the football team,” Will explained.

“Well that’s… different. But great!” Mike said, trying to sound supportive.

“Yeah, but college football games are on Saturdays. I’m sure he won’t have a weekend free until after football season,” Will said.

“Okay, so the five of us can still hang out,” Mike said. “Or we could all go see Lucas in Columbus.”

“And sleep where? Five extra people in a dorm room?” Will pointed out.

“Well, the five of us can still hang out,” Mike repeated. “We knew things would change some when we went to college.”

“That’s why I made everyone promise that we would make an effort to see each other more times than just Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Will reminded him. “Just a few weeks ago at the bonfire at my house, Lucas even said that we would not grow apart. Now I haven’t spoken to him in two weeks.”

“He’s been busy with move-in, the first week of classes, try-outs. Cut him some slack. We’ve all been busy the last couple weeks,” Mike said. “I’m sure when we all get together again, it’ll be just like no time has passed.”

“Or Lucas will have his new football friends and will be too cool for us,” Will said.

“That’s not going to happen,” Mike said. “We’ve been friends forever. So what if he makes some new friends. Haven’t you? You’ve been hanging out with that Adam guy a lot this week.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Will relented. “I just feel like we’re all slipping away from each other.”

“I think it’s just because we’re adjusting to not all seeing each other every day,” Mike said. “Once we all get together again, I guarantee it’ll feel just like old times.”

“I hope you’re right,” Will said.

“Of course I am,” Mike chuckled. “So, have you met anyone else besides Adam?”

“Not really,” Will said. “I talk to people around me in class every now and then, but I wouldn’t consider any of them friends.”

“Fair enough,” Mike nodded. “How about any girls? We’re in college now. They’re not all like the mean girls in Hawkins.”

“Nah, I haven’t really been looking,” Will shrugged, looking down.

“You haven’t been out with anyone since Jessica, have you?” Mike asked, and Will shook his head.

After homecoming, Will and Jessica had hung out a few times, but it never ended up going anywhere, and Will had never talked to Mike about it.

“No, I don’t really need a girlfriend right now though, you know? I’m adjusting to classes and living away from home, making new friends,” Will shrugged again. “Like I said, I haven’t been looking.”

“That’s a good thing, actually. I can tell you from experience you’re most likely to find what you need when you aren’t even looking for it,” Mike said.

Will nodded but didn’t say anything more, so Mike figured the conversation had ended. Will had always been pretty private when it came to relationships and even crushes. Jessica was the only girl Will had ever gone out with, and Mike rarely remembered Will talking about a girl he liked. 

“You know what we should do some time?” Will asked, changing the topic.

“What?” Mike asked.

“Adam showed me this arcade the other day. It has twice as many games as the one back home,” Will said, his face lighting up again. “We should totally go this weekend.”

“How about Saturday afternoon? El and I are having a date night Saturday night,” Mike said.

“Don’t you guys have date nights all the time?” Will chuckled.

“A proper date night. So she can dress up and I can take her out and show her off,” Mike said.

“I know what you meant,” Will said. “And yeah, Saturday afternoon is fine.”

“Why don’t you see if Adam wants to come?” Mike suggested.

“Sure,” Will agreed.

Mike and Will played a few more rounds on Mike’s Nintendo before calling it a night.

In Michigan, Dustin was still having no luck with patching things up with Suzie. She had made it crystal clear that she only wanted to talk to Dustin about their chem labs and nothing else. During the lectures throughout the week, Suzie’s eyes remained focused either on Dr. Collins up front or on her notebook as she took notes. It was as if she didn’t realize that Dustin was even there. That Friday during their lab, she had to acknowledge him once again, and she kept their conversation strictly about the lab.

“Can you combine those two beakers and then stir for three minutes?” Suzie asked, not even looking up from the instructional guide she was holding.

Dustin simply did as he was told. He did not enjoy the tension between them, but he thought maybe it would be easier to get through the semester if he just cooperated with her.

“Before we move on to the next step, we need to check the pH level of that solution,” Suzie said and handed him the litmus paper. “You can handle that while I set up over here.”

Dustin bit his tongue and just dipped the litmus paper into the solution. When he pulled it out, his brow furrowed at the shade of blue on the paper.

“Are you finished with that?” Suzie asked, not looking up.

“Um, isn’t it supposed to be acidic?” Dustin asked.

“Yes, of course, it is. Haven’t you been following along?” Suzie asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her tone.

“I have, which is how I know we did something wrong,” Dustin said, and Suzie whipped her head up to look at him across the table.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Dustin said nothing but showed her the blue litmus paper that should be red if they had conducted the experiment correctly.

“No, no, no, no,” Suzie muttered as she hurried around to Dustin’s side of the table.

Suzie took her own strip of litmus paper and dipped it into the solution. When she pulled it out, she was displeased to see that it was the same shade of blue as Dustin’s.

“Damn it,” she muttered.

“I may not be quite as smart as you, but I do know how to dip a paper in some liquid,” Dustin said through pursed lips.

“Where could we have screwed up?” Suzie asked, ignoring Dustin and flipping through their lab instructions.

She checked the labels on the chemicals that they had used and matched them with the names of chemicals in the instructions. Suzie gasped when she found the error.

“Did you use this in step three?” she asked, holding up one of the beakers.

“Yes, that’s what you told me to use in step three,” Dustin replied.

“It most certainly is not,” Suzie said, placing the beaker firmly back onto the table. “That isn’t even supposed to be used in this experiment.”

She shoved the instructions to Dustin’s chest and he looked at the page she was pointing to.

“Shit,” he muttered. “I grabbed the wrong thing out of the cabinet.”

Suzie shook her head and walked back to her side of the table. She raised her hand to call over Dr. Collins.

“Dr. Collins, my partner here seems to have made an error and used the wrong chemical,” she said. “We’ve spent all this time making our solution incorrectly.”

“It’s a good thing you’ve caught the error now instead of at the end,” Dr. Collins said.

“Yes, but, if we continue, our results will be wrong,” Suzie said.

“That, they will be,” Dr. Collins agreed.

“So, what do you suggest we do?” Suzie pressed on.

“The only thing you can do,” Dr. Collins said. “Start over.”

“But, if we start over now, we won’t be finished by the end of the lab period,” Suzie said.

“My students are the last ones in here today. Do either of you have class after this one?” Dr. Collins asked, and both Suzie and Dustin shook their heads. “Then you can take as long as you need.”

“But, Dr. Collins, I have plans tonight,” Suzie objected.

“Are these plans more important than your grade in this course?” Dr. Collins asked. “The way I see it, you have three options. You can continue with your knowingly incorrect solution and receive a poor grade on this week’s lab. You can scrap what you’ve done so far and receive zero credit for this week’s lab. Or, you can accept that you made a mistake, start over, and complete this week’s lab for full credit.”

When his point had been made, Dr. Collins walked back to the front of the classroom. Suzie let out a deep sigh of frustration and turned around to face Dustin.

“Let’s get this cleaned up and start over,” she said steadily.

Several minutes later, they had discarded everything from their station that they could not use, and they were starting their lab from the beginning again while their classmates were over halfway finished. Suzie was sure to grab the necessary materials, double-checking the labels on the beakers before bringing them to their table.

As Dustin and Suzie reached the halfway point, most of their classmates were dropping off their lab notebooks with Dr. Collins and leaving to start their weekend. Fifteen minutes after the last of their classmates left, Dr. Collins stood from his chair and began packing up his bag.

“I trust you two to leave your lab notebooks on my desk so I can collect them in the morning. Don’t forget to clean up after yourselves,” he said as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

“Where are you going?” Suzie asked in a tone she never would have dreamed of using with one of her professors.

“I have plans,” Dr. Collins replied simply.

“So do I,” Suzie said indignantly.

“Yes, but I did not mess up a lab assignment, dear, so I get to keep my plans,” Dr. Collins said. “Have a good weekend, you two.”

Suzie watched him leave with fury in her eyes. 

“Look, Suzie, if you need to go, I can finish this up,” Dustin offered sincerely.

“My name is on this, too, Dustin. I want to make sure it’s done right,” Suzie said.

“It was just an offer. I know you said you have plans tonight,” Dustin said.

“I do have plans tonight. And they didn’t involve being stuck here even later,” Suzie said.

They were both silent as they proceeded with their experiment. Nearly ten minutes later, Dustin broke the silence again.

“So, what kind of plans do you have tonight?” he asked.

“We’re not doing this,” Suzie said firmly.

“Not doing what?” Dustin asked.

“We are not going to pretend to be friends. We’re not buddies. We’re not old pals. We simply know each other from our past,” Suzie said.

“Exactly. It’s in the past, Suzie, come on. It’s been four years. Sometimes things don’t work out. How are you not over it by now?” Dustin caved and asked.

“You think I’m not over it? I am way passed over it, Dustin. You want to know what my plans are? I have a date tonight,” Suzie said.

“A-a date?” Dustin repeated.

“Yeah, a date,” Suzie said. “But those aren’t exactly a new concept to you, are they? After all, you were going on plenty while we were still together.”

“That’s not what happened, and you know it,” Dustin said firmly. “If you want to blame me for us breaking up, that’s fine. But don’t exaggerate and make me look like some big cheater when you know that’s not what happened.”

Suzie huffed and looked down at the table, silently moving on to the next step of their experiment. A silent half hour later, Dustin and Suzie finished their experiment. They cleaned up their area and turned their lab notebooks in on Dr. Collins’s desk.

“Have fun on your date tonight,” Dustin said as Suzie walked toward the doorway.

Suzie froze for a moment, considered turning around to say something back to him, but thought better of it and left.

When Dustin got back to his room, he was happy to find his roommate Sam sitting on the futon he had brought and watching a movie on their small television. Dustin walked over, picked up the remote, and paused the movie.

“What the hell, dude?” Sam asked.

“She’s crazy. She’s fucking nuts,” Dustin said.

“The lab girl you dated in high school?” Sam asked.

“Who else?! She treats me like garbage during class. She basically insinuated that I was a horrible cheating boyfriend when we were together-”

“Wait, did you cheat on her?” Sam asked.

“Not exactly,” Dustin replied.

“That seems like a pretty yes-or-no question to me,” Sam said.

“It was a complicated situation, and we were fourteen!” Dustin exclaimed. “How am I supposed to get through the rest of this semester?”

“I don’t know, man,” Sam shook his head. “I’m going over to a buddy’s house tonight for a beer and game night, though. Wanna come? It could take your mind off her.”

“Sure. Thanks,” Dustin agreed. “I’m going down to the lounge to call one of my friends from back home. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

Dustin grabbed his planner that he had written all the party members’ college dorm phone numbers in, and then he went down to the lounge at the end of the hall so Sam could finish watching his movie in peace. Dustin decided to call Mike and Will’s room. He could talk to whichever of them was there.

“Hello?”

“Mike? It’s Dustin.”

“Hey, Dustin. What’s up?” Mike asked.

“Has Will filled you in on my situation with my chem lab partner?” Dustin asked.

“You mean the fact that it’s Suzie and she hates you?” Mike said.

“Good, so you’re caught up,” Dustin muttered. “Yes, she fucking hates me, dude. I don’t know why.”

“You don’t know why?” Mike deadpanned.

“Okay, I know she’s upset, but it is in the past. She’s making chemistry hell for me, and she’s enjoying it,” Dustin said.

“You only have to work with her a couple hours a week,” Mike said.

“Yes, and those couple hours a week, she treats me like shit,” Dustin said. “She interrupts me, she blames me for everything, she refuses to talk about anything other than the lab. Oh, but today she didn’t mind flaunting that she’s going on a date tonight-”

“Is that why you’re so upset today? Because Suzie has a date tonight?” Mike asked.

“What? No. I’m just venting because she’s acting like a raging bitch to me for no good reason,” Dustin said.

“So it’s just a coincidence that you’re getting this worked up on the day she told you she has a date,” Mike said.

“Yes, Michael. If you must see something there, it is completely coincidental,” Dustin said.

“Mhm,” Mike hummed. “Well, look, I don’t know what to tell you. You have to work with her for the rest of the semester. You just have to be civil.”

“I am the civil one! She’s crazy!” Dustin exclaimed.

“Just act like you don’t know her, like you don’t have a history together. Treat her like any random person you could’ve been paired up with,” Mike suggested. “Maybe she’ll come around at some point and be nicer to you, but if not, the semester will come to an end eventually.”

“I know,” Dustin sighed. “I just needed to vent.”

“I get it,” Mike said. “Do you feel any better now?”

“A bit,” Dustin replied.

“Good,” Mike said. “I have a question for you. How would you feel about all of us going down to Hawkins one weekend so we can all hang out together again? I think Will is having a hard time adjusting to us not all being together anymore.”

“Yeah, that could be fun,” Dustin said. “But you know Lucas made the football team, so weekends are pretty much a no-go for him until after football season.”

“I know. We’ll have to do it again in the spring,” Mike said.

“For sure,” Dustin said. “You guys are also welcome to come up here any time you want, too. My roommate Sam is pretty cool.”

“Okay, I’ll run that past Will,” Mike said.

“Cool. Well, I’m gonna get off here,” Dustin said. “Sam and I are going to one of his friend’s house tonight.”

“Okay. Have fun,” Mike said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye,” Dustin said.

“Bye,” Mike replied and hung up.

The next afternoon, El met up with Mike and Will in their dorm room. The three of them walked to the student union to meet up with Adam. When they got close enough, they saw Adam reach a tan arm into the air to wave at them, a smile on his face that made his blue eyes even brighter.

“Hey, Adam, this is my best friend Mike,” Will introduced them. “And this is El.”

“And El is your sister and your girlfriend,” Adam recalled, pointing first at Will and then Mike.

“That’s right,” Will confirmed.

“Cool. Well it’s great to meet both of you,” Adam smiled.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Mike said, and El smiled and nodded.

The four of them started walking toward the edge of campus to head into town. 

“So, Mike, has Will shown you the comic book store that he and I went to last week?” Adam asked.

“No, he hasn’t. He’s told me about it, and we’ve talked about going, but our schedules just haven’t lined up yet,” Mike replied.

“I get it, but you should go. They have a great selection,” Adam said, and then he turned to El. “El, Will tells me that you are in to creative writing?”

“Yes,” El confirmed.

“That’s awesome. Where do you find your inspiration?” Adam asked.

“All over the place, really. Sometimes ideas just come to me, and sometimes I pull from my life experiences,” El replied.

“I like that honesty in writing. People assume that because we’re young, we don’t have life experience, but eighteen years on this planet is a long time. I’m sure you’ve come up with some great material from your life,” Adam said.

“Oh, you don’t even know the half of it,” Mike muttered.

“So have you two gotten to explore the town much?” Adam asked.

“No, not yet. We’ve been focusing on classes mostly,” Mike replied.

“We went to the drive-in last weekend, and we’re going out for dinner tonight,” El added.

“Oh, so you’re getting out there a little bit,” Adam said. “Where are you going for dinner?”

“I have a couple places in mind,” Mike said.

“Well, if you like Italian, I can recommend a place on Campbell Road. It’s not far from here, but it is a little on the high-end side,” Adam said.

“I love Italian,” El smiled.

“Great,” Adam smiled and turned back to Mike. “I’ll get you the address.”

The four of them arrived at the arcade, and when they went inside, Mike’s mind was blown at how big it was. Will was right; there were twice as many games as the arcade back home. 

“This is huge,” El marveled.

“It’s not too big, is it?” Mike asked quietly, looking around at all the people, machines, lights, and noises.

“No, I’m okay,” El smiled and squeezed his hand. It was nice that after all these years, he still took the time to make sure she was comfortable in new situations.

“So, what first?” Will asked.

“Well, I could kick your ass in Galaga, or I could kick your ass in Pac-Man,” Mike said as he looked around to see which machines were available.

“Didn’t El beat you at Pac-Man the last time we went to the arcade back home?” Will asked.

“You know what, I think I’m going to go over there and play Dragon’s Lair,” Mike said.

“Alright, alright. Galaga,” Will said.

Will and Mike hurried over to the Galaga machine, leaving Adam and El standing near the entrance.

“Do you want to play Pac-Man?” Adam asked.

“Sure,” El smiled.

Adam seemed nice, and El wanted to get to know Will’s new friend. They went over to the Pac-Man machine and set it up for two players.

“Ladies first,” Adam smiled, gesturing toward the machine.

El and Adam took turns on the machine, and each time Adam played, El found herself looking over at Mike and Will. It was nice to see Will so happy. She had been concerned for him with starting college, especially after Will had come to her after their first day of classes and said he didn’t know how to make friends. El was happy that it seemed like Will found a good friend after all.

“No, no, NO!” Adam exclaimed, and El looked at the screen to see him losing his last life to the red ghost. “Guess you really are good at Pac-Man, huh?”

“I have to be good at one video game,” El laughed with a shrug. “Being around these two would be really boring otherwise.”

“How’d you do, baby?” Mike asked when he and Will rejoined El and Adam.

“She kicked my ass,” Adam answered for her.

“That’s my girl,” Mike smiled and planted a kiss on El’s temple.

“More like that’s my sister,” Will scoffed. “I destroyed you at Galaga.”

“You got lucky,” Mike said with a wave of his hand.

“Aw, it’s okay, baby,” El teased, wrapping her arms around Mike’s waist.

“Alright, you think it’s funny? Play me in Dig Dug,” Mike said.

“You know I’m notorious for beating you at Dig Dug,” El reminded him.

“I’m feeling lucky,” Mike said.

“You shouldn’t be,” Will chuckled.

“What do you say?” Mike asked, ignoring Will.

“You’re on,” El smiled and pulled him by the hand over to the Dig Dug machine.

“They are cute together, aren’t they?” Adam asked as he watched Mike and El over at the Dig Dug game.

“Nauseatingly so,” Will chuckled. “But, they make each other happy, and I couldn’t ask for better for my best friend or my sister.”

“They both seem like great people,” Adam said.

“They are,” Will confirmed.

“So, Dragon’s Lair?” Adam asked.

“You bet!” Will exclaimed.

Will, Adam, Mike, and El spent the next couple hours playing each other in game after game. By the time they left, Mike and El were happy they got to meet Will’s new friend, and they were both excited to see him around more often.

While Mike, El, and Will were at the arcade in West Lafayette, Max had attended her first college football game in Columbus. Of course, Lucas had just joined the team last week during walk-on try-outs, so there was no chance he would have been able to play, but Max was elated to be in the stands cheering him on anyway. Lucas was sitting on the bench along the sidelines with his teammates, and Max spent more time watching him than the actual game. She didn’t really care about the football game, but she loved how Lucas looked in that uniform.

Lucas had instructed Max to meet him in the north parking lot when the game was over, so she was waiting patiently on the hood of her car when Lucas finally came into view.

“Lucas!” she called when she saw him.

Max waved her hand in the air, and Lucas hurried over to her. He pulled her into a tight hug and planted his lips on hers. It was the first time they had seen each other in over two weeks, since Lucas instructed Max to come to his game and they would meet up afterward. He knew he had practice Friday night, and he had to be at the stadium early Saturday morning, so it would have been unfair to Max to have her come any earlier.

“God, it’s so good to see you,” Lucas said when he pulled back. He surveyed Max up and down. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Max smiled. “You looked pretty damn good yourself in that uniform.”

“Yeah?” Lucas asked.

“Hell yeah. You might need to put that back on for me,” Max said, suggestively raising her eyebrows.

“Unfortunately, it stays in the locker room so it can be washed,” Lucas said. “But I think we can have a good time without it.”

“Hey, Sinclair!” came a guy’s voice from behind Lucas.

Both Lucas and Max turned around to see Marcus Baker and some of the other teammates walking through the parking lot.

“Party at my house tonight!” Marcus called.

“My girlfriend’s here for the night,” Lucas called back.

“Bring her,” Marcus shrugged before getting into his car.

“Wanna go to a party tonight with the team?” Lucas asked, turning back to Max.

“Um, absolutely,” Max replied.

Lucas and Max spent the next several hours walking around campus so Lucas could show Max around and then eating dinner at a restaurant just outside the edge of campus. By the time they got to Lucas’s dorm room, it was time for them to start getting ready for the party.

Max hadn’t known what their plans would be, but she brought a nice going-out outfit just in case. She pulled on a black leather skirt and a red off-the-shoulder top, touched up her makeup, teased her hair, and pulled it all together with a pair of black heeled boots.

“You look hot as hell,” Lucas said, looking her up and down again. “Do you go out like this back in Indiana?”

“So what if I do?” Max asked, wrapping her arms around Lucas’s neck.

“You must find enjoyment in teasing everyone,” Lucas said.

Max shrugged and pulled him in to kiss her.

“Let’s go check out this party,” she said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Lucas and Max arrived at Marcus’s house for the party, and it was already swarming with people. Lucas recognized everyone from the football team and a lot of the cheerleaders, but there were a bunch more people that he had never seen. 

They went into the kitchen and got their first round of drinks. Max was having a blast letting Lucas introduce her to his teammates while she downed drink after drink. At one point, two of Lucas’s teammates brought over some shot glasses, and Lucas and Max took shots with them.

A couple hours into the party, Max’s head was spinning as she danced along to the music that was playing. Lucas was right behind her, his hands on her hips as they swayed to the beat of the music. He brushed her hair back from her shoulder to expose one side of her neck, and Lucas dipped in to kiss her underneath her ear. Max squealed and brought her hand up to the side of Lucas’s face to hold his lips there.

“You feeling okay?” Lucas asked into her ear.

“I feel amazing,” Max replied, slurring her words.

They kept dancing, but Max did not get any more drinks. Lucas wanted her to sober up a little bit before the walk home. As they walked back to his dorm room, Max was stumbling along the sidewalk, holding onto Lucas’s arm for dear life.

“That was so much fun,” she said.

“I’m glad you had a good time,” Lucas smiled.

“I did,” Max said. “But, oh my god, Lucas, you have to come to a party at my school some time. I did a fucking kegstand.”

“You did a kegstand?” Lucas repeated, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

“Yep! It was awesome,” Max slurred.

“I bet it was,” Lucas said.

They got to Lucas’s room to find it empty; his roommate had not come back from whatever party he was at. Max wrapped her arms around Lucas’s neck and immediately plunged her tongue into his mouth. His hands were on her waist, already lifting up the red top she was wearing. Max pulled back long enough for Lucas to pull her shirt over her head.

“You’re so fucking hot,” Lucas growled before meshing his lips back with hers, the taste of the beer on his breath and the liquor on her breath mixing.

They sloppily pulled off Lucas’s clothes and Max’s skirt, leaving her in her bra, panties, and boots.

“Leave the heels on,” Lucas instructed when Max went to kick them off. 

He tossed her hair over her shoulder again and began kissing her neck. Lucas tangled one hand in her long red hair and closed his fist, pulling her hair and stinging her scalp. He reached his other hand down to her ass and felt that she was wearing a thong.

“Fuck,” he sighed against her skin.

“Are you ready to fuck me, or what?” Max asked, looking into his eyes with a fire burning in her own. She had come to deliver on that congratulatory sex they had teased about.

Max placed her hands on Lucas’s shoulders and guided him to sit down on the edge of the bed. She knelt between his legs and took his hard cock in her hand, jerking it while she licked from his balls to his tip. Max wasted no time closing her lips around his cock and sliding it all the way into her mouth. Lucas groaned at the sensation of being back in her mouth. Max began bobbing her head up and down his hard cock, feeling his tip hit the back of her throat each time, but being careful not to gag herself.

Lucas reached down to her tits and pulled the cups of her bra to the side, letting her round tits and hard nipples spill out into the middle. She kept sloppily bobbing on his dick until strings of her saliva dropped from her mouth onto her exposed tits. Lucas squeezed her nipples, coating them with her own saliva to make them nice and shiny. He placed one hand on the back of Max’s head and guided her up and down his length.

“That’s right… suck my cock like a good slut,” Lucas grunted.

He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her how good she was doing. But between the booze, the look in her big eyes when she looked up at him from her place between his legs, and the feel of her tight mouth, Lucas could not come up with the words. He moaned as he moved his hand faster, forcing Max’s mouth up and down his shaft again and again.

Max finally gagged on his cock, and Lucas let go of her head, letting her gag and cough around his thick cock while tears streamed down her face.

She pulled her mouth away from his cock and wiped her cheeks dry while she stood up. Max pulled her thong to the side to expose her bare pussy, and she straddled Lucas’s hips while he remained seated on the edge of the bed.

“Was I a good slut for you? Gagging on your cock while you forced it down my throat?” Max asked, standing up on her knees which were placed on either side of Lucas’s hips, her exposed tits right in his face.

“Fuck yes, you were,” Lucas replied, his eyes fixed on her hard nipples. He stuck his tongue out to tease them. “You’ve always been such a slut for me, haven’t you? No matter what you’ve gone out there and found, you’ve always come back to me, haven’t you? Because nobody else fucks you like I do.”

As if to emphasize his point, Lucas gripped both of Max’s hips and slammed her down onto his hard cock. Max cried out as he plunged into her tight pussy, hilting inside of her for the first time in over two weeks.

She began bouncing up and down on his cock, and Lucas’s grip on her hips tightened while he pulled her down harder each time. He started thrusting upward to meet her, and Max saw stars each time he bottomed out inside her.

Lucas stopped pounding himself up into her, and he pushed her off of him onto his bed. He stood up and positioned Max on all fours. Lucas looped his finger around the string of her thong that was wedged between her ass cheeks, and he pulled it to the side so it framed her ass instead. 

“Fuck me, Lucas,” Max requested, looking over her shoulder at him.

Not needing to be told twice, Lucas lined himself up and slammed his cock into her pussy. He immediately began pounding into her at a fast pace, mesmerized by the jiggling flesh of her ass as it bounced against him with each thrust. His ears filled with the sounds of Max crying out when he rammed into her from behind and her moans when he hit the spot that made her toes curl.

Lucas lifted his hand and brought it down, smacking her ass hard and making it jiggle even more against his stomach. Max shrieked at the sting that she felt, which urged Lucas to do it again. 

“You like when I smack your ass? It makes you even wetter, doesn’t it, you slut?” Lucas asked crudely.

“Yes, I fucking love it. Fucking do it again,” Max said, and Lucas happily obliged.

“Your ass is going to be as red as your fucking hair,” he grunted when he had smacked her ass raw.

Lucas grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled it, and Max cried his name again. He was so close to the edge, and he was jackhammering into her pussy. Lucas let go of her hair and pushed down on her lower back, causing Max to arch even more, so all his view was of her reddened ass cheeks.

“Oh, fuck, I’m gonna cum, Lucas,” Max groaned.

Just then, Lucas felt her pussy tighten around his cock. He felt it contract over and over while she cried his name into the mattress. Then, Lucas felt his own orgasm coming. He abruptly pulled out and aimed his cock at Max’s ass, letting his cum spurt out over the sore red flesh.

“Fuck,” he sighed as he wiped the last of his cum from his tip onto her ass.

Max collapsed onto his bed, waiting for Lucas to clean her up. She felt him return a moment later with a washcloth and wipe his cum from her body. Then, Lucas removed her boots, and Max curled her legs up into herself. Lucas joined her a moment later after turning out the lights.

“How was that for congratulatory sex?” Max mumbled against him.

“Fucking fantastic,” Lucas sighed. “I need to make you proud of me more often if this is how I get congratulated.”

“You know I’m always proud of you,” Max murmured, snuggling into his side.

“Good night, MadMax,” Lucas said and kissed the top of her head. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, Stalker,” Max whispered before falling into a deep slumber.

While Max and Lucas were having a wild Saturday night in Ohio, Mike and El were having a much calmer evening. Mike arrived at El’s dorm to pick her up for their date, and when she opened the door, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. She was wearing a simple pink dress with her hair curled and her makeup done, but to Mike she was always the most gorgeous creature on the planet.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

“Thank you,” El smiled. “You looked great, too.”

Mike was wearing khaki pants, a light blue button-down shirt, and a darker blue tie.

“Thanks,” he smiled and leaned in to kiss her. “Ready to go?”

El nodded and stepped out into the hallway with him. They walked hand-in-hand out of El’s dorm hall and to Mike’s car. Mike ended up taking El to the Italian restaurant that Adam had recommended earlier in the day, which El was excited to try.

“We should go on a double-date some time with Bethany and Cam,” El suggested after they had ordered and were waiting on their food.

She had told Mike about Bethany the day after meeting her. El had been excited to make a new friend, especially a new female friend. It also helped that Bethany seemed to be quite a contrast to Max and that Bethany understood and supported El being in a long-term relationship at such a young age. Mike and Max had been on good terms for several months, but Mike would likely never forget the role that Max played in his and El’s breakup, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t wish that El had a more supportive female friend.

“Sure, we can do that any time you want,” Mike said.

“I think you’d like both Bethany and Cam, and they’re excited to meet you,” El said.

She had hung out with Bethany again the day before while Mike had to stay in to finish a paper. They had met again in the lounge, and Bethany suggested they go to her room to talk and watch a movie. Cam and Jake had joined for the movie.

“If they’re your friends, I’m sure I’ll like them,” Mike said.

“Last night, the four of us watched Footlose,” El said.

“The four of you?” Mike asked.

“Me, Bethany, Cam, and Jake,” El explained.

“Who is Jake?” Mike asked, his stomach sinking.

“Cam’s friend,” El replied simply.

“Oh,” Mike said.

His mind was already spinning. What did Jake look like? Did he have a girlfriend? Was he interested in El? Did he know El had a boyfriend? Did he think he had a chance with El?

“Jake knows about you, too,” El said gently as if she could read his mind. “He’s just always with Cam, which is why he was there last night.”

“Okay, that’s cool. I mean, I trust you,” Mike said, trying to act as though his mind had not been overflowing with questions just seconds before.

El smiled softly and laid her hand on top of his.

“Mike, you know I love you more than anything in the world, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I know,” Mike said.

“Good,” she smiled. “I’ve experienced what it’s like without you, and I never want to do that again. Any guy I talk about, I swear to you, is just a friend. You have nothing to worry about.”

Mike had to admit that hearing her say that made him feel better. He did love and trust El, but he couldn’t help the fact that sometimes his mind freaked him out. He knew they had taken the time to discover themselves apart from each other before getting back together, but sometimes he found himself wondering if El could ever wonder what else was out there again. He always reminded himself that she loved him and that he trusted her. 

“You know losing you again would kill me,” Mike said.

“You’ll never lose me again, Mike. I’m going to keep proving that to you every day,” El said. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Mike returned, leaning in to kiss her.

The next day, El was on cloud nine after her date night with Mike. They had gone on hundreds of dates throughout the years, but El always felt like she was floating after each one of them. She wished Mike could understand the feeling that she got from him. Maybe that would silence any doubt that ever crossed his mind.

She was pulling on her shoes, about to go meet Mike and Will for dinner, when her phone rang.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hey!” came Max’s voice.

“Max! How are you?” El asked.

“I’m great. I just got back from spending the weekend with Lucas,” Max replied. 

“That sounds fun,” El said.

“It was,” Max replied, and El could hear the smirk in her voice. “But I was actually calling to see what you’re doing next weekend.”

“I don’t have any plans yet, as far as I know,” El replied.

“Good! Don’t make any,” Max said. “I want to come visit you. I miss my best friend, and we need to catch up. Plus, I really want your advice on something that’s been on my mind the last couple weeks.”

“Of course,” El said. “You can come Friday night or Saturday morning and stay until Sunday if you want.”

“Sounds great. I think I’ll plan for Friday night to give us some extra girl time,” Max said.

“Okay! I’ll see you then,” El smiled.

“Can’t wait!” Max exclaimed.

El hung up the phone and went to join Mike and Will, wondering what Max wanted to talk to her about.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello again! Thank you for all the feedback. I’m glad everyone is enjoying this story. This chapter starts to dive a little more into some drama for several of our characters. I hope you all enjoy it. Also, I might surprise myself, but I really doubt that I will get another chapter out before Thanksgiving. So, for those who celebrate it, I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and are able to enjoy yourselves despite everything going on in the world. Thank you all for reading, and please leave me your thoughts. I love to read them!

The phone was ringing in Mike’s dorm room as he opened the door after returning from class one afternoon. He dropped his backpack onto his desk chair and hurried over to pick it up.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Mike! Hey, how are you?” came Lucas’s voice from the other end.

“Lucas! I’ve been great. How have you been? It’s been a while,” Mike said, kicking off his shoes and relaxing onto his bed.

“I know. Sorry about that,” Lucas replied. “I’ve been super busy with classes and football.”

“I heard! Congratulations, man,” Mike said.

“Thanks,” Lucas smiled. “It’s been great to kind of start over, you know? I was pretty much a nobody in Hawkins, and I’ve really had the chance to reinvent myself.”

“That’s awesome. I’m happy for you,” Mike said.

“Thanks,” Lucas repeated. “I’m sure I won’t get any real playing time, but I feel like I’m getting better after each practice, and I’m really working hard to be able to start next year. So, we’ll see.”

“Well, good luck. I know you’ll get there,” Mike said.

“I appreciate that,” Lucas said. “So what’s new with you? How’s El?”

“Uh, nothing really new. Classes are fine,” Mike said. “El is great. Things with her are amazing. Better than they’ve ever been.”

“Still having a bunch of extra sex, I assume?” Lucas chuckled.

“I mean, no more than usual,” Mike said carefully. He knew El didn’t like their sex life openly talked about outside of just the two of them.

“Please,” Lucas laughed. “After you two got back together, we hardly ever saw you. And now doesn’t she have a private room? That breakup seriously did wonders for your sex life.”

“Yeah, she does have a private room,” Mike confirmed. “But I don’t think the breakup has anything to do with anything.”

“Sure it does,” Lucas said. “She hurt you, she felt bad about it, so she’s been making it up to you with all the sex you could dream of.”

Mike rolled his eyes at Lucas’s explanation. He decided to change the subject.

“How is the long-distance thing working out with Max?” he asked.

“Actually, way better than I expected,” Lucas admitted. “We talk on the phone a few times a week, and she actually came to visit me this past weekend.”

“How was that?” Mike asked.

“Incredible. She came to my game, I showed her around campus, got dinner, and we went to a party Saturday night,” Lucas replied. “And, of course, things were as hot as ever. Maybe even hotter since we hadn’t seen each other in a couple weeks.”

“Well, that’s good. I’m glad it’s working out for you,” Mike said sincerely.

“Me too,” Lucas sighed. “I’ve got to admit, I was worried. We’d always been so casual until a few months ago. But I really think this past weekend settled it. When we’re able to see each other, we can pick up right where we left off. It’s just about keeping that communication going when we aren’t with each other.”

“I’m happy for you. It really sounds like Max has matured a lot about this,” Mike said.

“Oh, absolutely,” Lucas agreed. “I really think we can make the long-distance thing work. A year ago at this time, I never would’ve imagined her putting in this type of effort.”

“That’s great, Lucas,” Mike said. “I’m glad things are going so well for you, but hey, I’ve got to go. I have a ton of homework to get started on, and I’m meeting up with El in a couple hours.”

“Okay. Well, it was good talking to you,” Lucas said.

“You too,” Mike replied.

“Don’t be a stranger, man. Talk to you later,” Lucas said.

“Bye,” Mike ended the call and hung up the phone.

He went over to his desk and figured he would take advantage of having the room to himself and get started on his biology assignment. About a half hour later, Mike looked at his watch and realized Will had been finished with classes for the last two hours, but his backpack wasn’t in the room, and there was no sign Will has come back. Mike wondered where he was.

Across campus, Will and Adam were in the library working on homework. They met up after they had both finished their classes for the day, and they were seated at a table far enough away from everyone else that they would not be scolded for talking quietly.

Adam’s Intro to Political Science book was open in front of him, but he was paying more attention to Will’s art history assignment. 

“Man, I wish I could take something like that. It would be so cool to learn about the history of all different types of art,” Adam said. “Maybe I’ll make it the one class I can choose next semester.”

Will smiled sympathetically as Adam rolled his eyes and looked toward his political science book with disdain.

“What do you want to do with an art degree, anyway?” Adam asked, and Will felt his cheeks begin to blush.

“It might not be super realistic, but I would love to be a comic book artist,” Will admitted, glancing down.

“Why wouldn’t that be realistic?” Adam asked, furrowing his brow.

“Art is a hard field to succeed in,” Will replied. “That’s one of the last things my dad made sure to tell me the last time I spoke to him. He said there’s no money to be made in art unless you’re really good.”

“And who says you aren’t really good?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know,” Will shrugged. “I guess no one really says that.”

“It’s just hard not to have your parents’ support. I get that,” Adam said.

“I have my mom’s support completely,” Will said quickly. “For as long as I can remember, she bought me box after box of crayons, markers, and colored pencils. I would always get sketchpads for Christmas. I’m pretty sure she still has some of my old drawings on the fridge.”

“That’s amazing,” Adam smiled. “My mom won’t really stand up to my dad, so none of us were encouraged to chase our dreams. So, looks like we’ll just be a family full of lawyers.”

Will didn’t know what to say once again. He could definitely relate to having an unsupportive father, but being discouraged from following his dreams is something Will never felt from home. At least, not from the people who mattered.

“I’m really sorry that you’re in that situation,” he said gently.

“Thanks,” Adam said. He looked up and smiled at Will, his bright blue eyes holding contact with Will’s, and Will jumped when he felt a weird fluttering in his stomach.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m great,” Will replied, looking back down at his art history book and feeling his cheeks heat up. He hoped his face wasn’t turning red.

“Alright, well I don’t know about you, but I’m done with poli-sci for the night. Do you want to grab some dinner?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Will replied.

They both packed up their backpacks and walked out of the library, deciding which hall to eat in for dinner. They chose to go to a sandwich shop, and they each ordered a sub. While they ate, they talked more about Will’s favorite things to draw. Will was impressed that Adam seemed interested in hearing about it. Sure, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas never made him feel bad about art, and they even encouraged him and complimented the drawings that they had seen, but Will knew once he started talking about it too much, their eyes would glaze over and he would feel pressured to finish talking about it. It didn’t feel that way with Adam. In fact, Adam actually encouraged Will to keep talking about it.

As they walked from the dining hall, Adam talked about some of his other hobbies like painting and skateboarding. He told Will about the two golden retrievers his family had at his house back in Iowa. Will noticed the enthusiasm in Adam’s face when he talked about his pets, and Will smiled at how much of an animal lover Adam was. He was enjoying getting to know more about Adam, and he found that he was sad when he and Adam needed to separate to go to their respective dorms.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Adam said.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow. Have a good night,” Will smiled.

“You too,” Adam grinned in return.

Will started walking toward his dorm with a big smile on his face. What a great day. He looked at his watch and couldn’t believe how much time had passed. Time always seemed to fly by when he was spending time with Adam.

His smile started to fall. Why did spending time with Adam make him so happy? Sure, Will was excited to make a friend, but he didn’t remember any of his other friends ever making him feel this giddy. And what was up with the fluttering in his stomach when Adam smiled at him today? When Adam had flashed that big, bright smile that reached all the way to his striking blue eyes…

Will shook his head. No. He wasn’t going to think about Adam’s smile or his eyes, or the dimples in his cheeks when he smiled wide enough, or the way his hair flowed when he ran a hand through it, or the –

Stop it. Will scolded himself for even considering thinking of Adam in that way. It wasn’t normal. That’s what his dad always said, anyway. For as long as Will could remember, his dad made sure that Will knew exactly what his dad thought about him. His dad called him a “fag” so often, it could’ve been a nickname. It wasn’t until Will reached middle school and learned the connotation behind that word that the insult really started to sting. Hearing bullies at school torment him with the slur was one thing, but his dad? His own father?

He couldn’t let them be right. There was no way. But, then again, Will didn’t talk to his dad anymore anyway, and the Hawkins bullies were a thing of the past… Surely, the people who really mattered in Will’s life wouldn’t blame him or think he was weird or gross for having these thoughts. After all, it’s not like Will could help it… Maybe he could talk to Mike about it.

It’s not my fault you don’t like girls.

The words from four years ago came back to Will like a blow to the stomach, and the worst part was that they were said in his best friend’s voice. Mike thought it too… That awful word that his dad called him so often throughout childhood… Mike thought it back then, and Mike clearly thought it wasn’t normal. The only difference was Mike was nice enough not to call him any names.

That settled it. Will had grown up being an outcast – the poor kid, the quiet one, the nerd. Then after November of 1983, he was Zombie Boy. He didn’t want to give anyone any more of a reason to think he was a freak. He wasn’t attracted to Adam; he couldn’t let himself be. He was just excited to be getting to know him better as a friend. Besides, even if Will were attracted to Adam, there was no guarantee Adam would feel the same way. In fact, it was more likely that Adam would just be another person thinking there was something wrong with Will. So, that was it. He would keep getting to know Adam as a friend, and if he ignored those stupid thoughts long enough, they would have to go away. This was the best option; Will knew it.

Dustin’s week had not gone any better than the rest of the semester so far. Suzie still ignored him, but Dustin had come to expect that. What was different about this week was how much happier Suzie seemed. There was something about the way she carried herself when she glided over to their table every day. The smile on her face was glowing, and her voice whenever she answered Dr. Collins’s questions was even more cheerful than Dustin had ever remembered.

But why was that? What had changed? Dustin wondered this every day until Friday when he finally saw what he could only assume was the answer to his questions.

Friday afternoon between the end of their chemistry lecture and the start of their chemistry lab, Dustin saw Suzie hurry out into the hallway. Dustin furrowed his brow and looked after her; she never left the room during the ten-minute break. He got up and walked out of the room as well and walked over to the drinking fountain along the wall. After Dustin got a drink of water, he turned and looked inconspicuously in Suzie’s direction. He saw her standing along the opposite wall with some guy.

The guy had curly hair like Dustin’s, but it was much darker. He was a good four inches taller than Dustin, and Dustin couldn’t hear what the guy was saying, but he definitely had a deeper voice. Whatever the guy was saying, Suzie was hanging on his every word. Dustin narrowed his eyes when he saw the adoration that Suzie was looking at the guy with, and then he walked back into the classroom to prepare for the lab.

A little while later, their lab was underway. Suzie was meticulously following the instructions provided, not wanting a repeat of last week when they messed up their lab and had to start completely over. Dustin was watching her with pursed lips. He opened his mouth to say something and then silently closed it again about four times before Suzie finally looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

“Is there something you want to say?” she asked.

Dustin opened his mouth again, couldn’t form the right words, and closed it, pursing his lips again and shaking his head no. Suzie looked back down at her work, seeming to accept his response. Until she broke the silence again a moment later.

“Did you see what you wanted to see when you spied on me before lab started?” she asked.

“W-what?” Dustin asked, and Suzie looked up at him with an amused expression.

“Your covert operation to the drinking fountain,” she explained.

“I was thirsty,” Dustin said.

“Uh huh,” Suzie said and looked down at the experiment in front of her again.

“I was!” Dustin insisted. He watched as Suzie once again ignored him, and he couldn’t stop himself from blurting out more. “But it looks like that date from last week went well.”

“Are you jealous?” Suzie asked, looking up at him with the corners of her mouth curling up into a grin.

“Of course not,” Dustin replied. “We dated four years ago. I’m not jealous of your new boyfriend… Is he actually your boyfriend?”

“I don’t see how that is any of your business,” Suzie replied, looking back to her work again.

“You’re right; it’s not. And I don’t care anyway,” Dustin said.

Suzie did not acknowledge him. The rest of the lab went on as normal; Dustin and Suzie worked at the same table and interacted as little as possible. The only difference was that Suzie’s behavior was eating away at Dustin inside. How was Suzie really going to treat him like shit, pretend he didn’t exist, act like a completely immature bitch, flaunt her new guy in front of him, and then call him jealous? That was absurd. Who did she think she was? Just because of a misunderstanding from four years ago?

When they finished their lab, Dustin and Suzie walked to the front of the classroom to turn in their lab notebooks. Then, without so much as a glance in Dustin’s direction, Suzie walked briskly out the door.

That was it; he had had enough. Dustin walked out after her.

“You know, you can’t keep pretending that we can work like this all semester,” he called after her.

Suzie stopped and turned around to face him.

“We don’t have any other choice, Dustin. We’re lab partners. We have to work together,” she said.

“Yes, but not like this,” Dustin said. “There is too much tension, and you enjoy treating me like shit way too much.”

“Treating you like shit? How exactly am I treating you like shit? By helping ensure you maintain an A in this course? By staying after – interfering with my own plans – to completely redo an experiment that you screwed up?” Suzie demanded, stepping closer to him. Her cheeks were red hot, and her eyes were narrowed.

“No, by treating me like I don’t even exist at all,” Dustin said. “By holding something against me from four years ago – four years ago, Suzie.”

“I know how long ago it was,” Suzie spat. “And I’m not holding it against you. But we are not friends, so I am not obligated to treat you as if we are.”

“No, but you don’t have to treat me like garbage, either,” Dustin said.

“Oh, am I making you feel bad?” Suzie asked in an almost taunting voice. “Am I not nice enough to you in class?”

“Suzie-”

“At least I’m not making you feel like I love you and like you matter to me and I care about you, and then turning around and being with someone else behind your back, only to come back to you and say that I’m leaving you for said person. That’s what you did to me. Still want to talk about treating someone like garbage?” Suzie said venomously, her narrowed eyes glaring at him.

“Suzie, that was four-”

“Four years ago. I know, I know. Everyone knows after four years, all should be forgiven,” Suzie said and dramatically rolled her eyes. “You wanted to know why I’m treating you the way I am, and that’s why. It’s easier to pretend I never knew you than treat you like what you did was okay.”

“I never said it was okay. I was a stupid fourteen-year-old kid. I had just started high school, and for the first time – the girls at school weren’t all shitty with me,” Dustin explained.

“So, you completely ignored the fact that you had a girlfriend who was never one of the shitty ones in the first place,” Suzie said.

“No one believed that you existed, other than my close friends,” Dustin said. “Whenever I talked about my girlfriend from science camp who lived in Utah, people would laugh at me and say I was making it up because I couldn’t get a girl.”

“Yeah, high schoolers are awful. This bullshit excuse isn’t helping your case,” Suzie said, crossing her arms.

“I tried to just ignore them,” Dustin continued. “I met a really nice girl in one of my classes, and we started hanging out. I swear on my life, Suzie, I just wanted to be friends with her. But the more I got to know her, the more I realized what all we had in common. She was really cool.”

Suzie rolled her eyes and sighed.

“I realized I was starting to really like her, and she was giving me signs that she liked me, too. I started thinking about how much easier it would be to have a girlfriend in Hawkins instead of halfway across the country. I’d be able to see her every day; nobody at school would think I was making her up,” Dustin went on. “I know that’s shitty of me, but I was fourteen. I was stupid. And I wanted to be as honest with you as possible, which is why I told you about her when I broke up with you. But I swear I never cheated on you. We didn’t kiss or anything while you and I were still dating.”

“The fact that you got close enough with another girl and built a strong enough bond to break up with me so you could date her is cheating in my book, Dustin,” Suzie said. “But I’m glad that you found someone more geographically convenient for you. I hope you’re very happy together.”

Dustin awkwardly looked down at the floor.

“We, uh, dated for maybe a couple months,” he admitted.

“What?!” Suzie exclaimed. “Let me get this straight. My first love who I was head over heels for broke up with me for another girl, and then broke up with her just a couple months later?”

“She and I ended up being better as friends,” Dustin said. “I dated some girls off and on throughout high school, but nothing too serious. I was still so young.”

“I know. We’ve established how old you were,” Suzie said coolly.

“The point is, I didn’t want to hurt you, and I’m sorry that I did. Can we please move past it now?” Dustin asked.

“I have moved past it, Dustin,” Suzie said. “But you and I are not friends, and we are not going to be. So please, stop trying to fix things and force us to get along. Just leave me alone and let me be happy.”

Dustin had nothing more to say. He watched as Suzie turned and walked away.

That night, Max arrived in West Lafayette to spend the weekend with El. El was waiting near the bus stop in the visitor parking lot, and when she saw Max’s car pull in, El jumped up and waited anxiously for her friend to park and join her. 

“El!” Max exclaimed when she got out of the car.

El hurried over to her, and the girls jumped into each other’s arms, excited to see each other for the first time in weeks.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” El said, muffled against Max’s shoulder.

“Me too!” Max smiled, pulling away from El. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” El said. 

Max pulled her duffle bag out of the backseat of her car, and then the two of them started walking through campus toward El’s dorm. As they walked through campus, El pointed out various places to Max to try and familiarize her best friend with her new home. When they reached El’s room, Max dumped her bag onto El’s desk chair and looked around in amazement.

“I’m so jealous you have a single,” Max said.

“I thought you get along with your roommate,” El said.

“I do,” Max confirmed. “But, god, this must be nice… You can turn the lights out whenever you want without having to be respectful of a roommate studying, you have total privacy all the time, and I’m sure you and Mike don’t have any complaints.”

Max winked after adding that last part, and El rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but blush.

“Yes, it has its perks,” she admitted. “But I still wish I could’ve had a roommate and gotten to know someone new.”

“Haven’t you made any new friends yet?” Max asked as she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on El’s bed.

“Yeah, I have. I actually met this girl named Bethany who is really nice. I’ve hung out with her and her boyfriend and his best friend a few times,” El replied.

“That’s great. Well, as long as this Bethany chick doesn’t try and replace me,” Max teased.

“Bethany won’t replace you if Sarah doesn’t replace me,” El quipped. 

“Nothing to worry about there,” Max laughed. “There is no replacing you.”

“I still want to meet her some time,” El said.

“Absolutely! You can come stay with me any time you want,” Max said. “And I want to meet Bethany while I’m here this weekend, too.”

“I’m sure we’ll run in to her,” El said. “So how is everything else going?”

“Oh, you know,” Max sighed. “Things are good. I had a meeting with my academic advisor a while ago-”

“This early in the semester?” El asked.

“Yeah, I know, right? I thought it was crazy, too,” Max agreed. “But anyway, it was to try and find out what I want to do with my life.”

“Any luck?” El asked.

“No,” Max sighed. “It’s just that I don’t have one big passion like everyone else. I have interest in a lot of different things, but I don’t have passion in any of them. I literally cannot think of a job that I can see myself doing for the rest of my life.”

“You’ll figure it out,” El assured her. “It’s not like you have to decide right away. There isn’t a deadline or anything.”

“Actually, there is a deadline if I want to graduate on time,” Max said. “There are only so many semesters I can fill up with bullshit gen eds.”

“I guess that’s true,” El relented.

“But enough with the boring school stuff,” Max said. “How are you and Mike doing?”

El instantly smiled at the sound of his name. She also loved how much more supportive of her relationship Max had been.

“Amazing,” El replied simply. “How about you and Lucas?”

“That is actually something I wanted to talk to you about,” Max said.

“Oh no. Is the long-distance not working out the way you planned?” El asked.

“It’s not that,” Max said. “Well, I guess it’s kind of that… I mean, things are not bad at all. Actually, things with Lucas are going really well.”

“That’s great,” El smiled.

“I visited him last weekend, and it was so good to see him again. We went to a party, and we had a lot of fun,” Max said. “Plus, we talk on the phone a lot throughout the week.”

“Wow. It sounds like you guys are really making it work,” El said.

“It does seem that way,” Max said hesitantly.

“What’s wrong?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

“I just feel like maybe we’re making a mistake trying to make our relationship so serious right now. We just started college,” Max said. “We’re both in brand new places around a bunch of new people, and I’m having a blast. I’ve gone to tons of parties, met some great people, and I did a kegstand!”

“A what?” El asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Max shook her head. “The point is, I feel like having a serious boyfriend all the way in Ohio is kind of… holding me back, in a way.”

“Are you thinking about breaking up with Lucas?” El asked.

“I don’t want to lose him,” Max said quickly. “I just think maybe things would be easier if we were still dating casually… Like, he and I could both be free to do whatever we wanted while we’re apart, but things would still be amazing when we see each other like last weekend.”

“But if things are so good when you two are together, why would you want to change it? Just because you won’t get to see each other as often?” El asked. “When I moved away with the Byers’ and lived in Illinois for two years, it was hard, but Mike and I made it work because we loved each other.”

“Yes, but you also hadn’t had sex yet,” Max pointed out.

“So?” El asked. “Not everything is about sex.”

“I’m not saying it is. But Lucas and I have both been with other people. Being separated and not seeing each other often… Both of us going to parties and getting drunk, being surrounded by a bunch of new people… The temptation is bound to be there,” Max explained. “If I’m feeling it, I’m sure Lucas is, too, by now. He parties with the entire football team. Do you realize how many cheerleaders he is around all the time?”

“Have you talked to him about this at all?” El asked, already having a hunch as to what Max’s answer would be.

“No,” Max confirmed, then she let out a dramatic sigh and fell backward. “You are so lucky that you and Mike go to the same college.”

“I know,” El smiled. “I can’t imagine being away from him every day.”

“Yeah, and you don’t have to feel this way, too,” Max said. “Knowing he’s at a different school, surrounded by temptation, knowing he’s been with someone else.”

“Mike has never been with anyone else,” El said, shaking her head.

“What are you talking about?” Max asked, sitting up.

“What do you mean? Mike and I have only ever been with each other,” El said.

“El, I know you would like to forget that you and Mike were broken up last year, but there’s no way you’ve actually forgotten about Lindsey,” Max said slowly.

El’s stomach flipped at the sound of Lindsey’s name. Of course she hadn’t forgotten about Lindsey. Seeing Mike with Lindsey in the hallways every day, holding hands, kissing… It was torture.

“I haven’t forgotten about Lindsey,” El said dryly. “But I went out with Brad, too. So, fine, I guess Mike and I each went out with someone else. We’ve both kissed other people.”

Max stared at El with an expression of confusion and concern. She couldn’t tell if El really didn’t know, or if El was just choosing to pretend like it didn’t happen.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” El asked.

“El, before you and Mike got back together, did you guys – you know – talk about Lindsey?” Max asked carefully.

“Yeah, of course. Mike told me that he had a conversation with Lindsey and was able to apologize for cheating on her with me at Lucas’s that day. He felt a lot better after getting some closure,” El replied.

“Is that all he told you about Lindsey?” Max asked slowly.

“Yes… Max, what is going on?” El asked, feeling worried.

“Okay, um…” Max took a deep breath. “El, I don’t know how to tell you this… Mike and Lindsey, they didn’t just kiss.”

El’s palms started to feel clammy.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“El, they had sex,” Max said gently.

El’s heart plummeted. It felt like her lungs were tightening up, and she started breathing short and rapid breaths.

“W-what are you talking about?” she repeated. “No they didn’t.”

“Yes, they did,” Max said softly. “I walked in on them.”

“Y-you what?” El asked meekly.

“Oh, god, you really don’t know,” Max muttered. “We all hung out at Mike’s house one night, and after I left, I realized I forgot my jacket. I went back inside, and I saw them… I’m sorry, El, I thought he would’ve told you.”

“What did you see?” El asked.

“What?” Max furrowed her brow.

“What exactly did you see? How do you know they were…” El trailed off.

“I mean, I didn’t go out of my way to look. Once I realized what was going on, I looked away,” Max said. “But, Mike was on top of her, and they were both naked.”

“B-but, I asked Mike specifically if he and Lindsey ever had sex… And he told me no,” El said, tears starting to rim her eyes.

“El, I’m sorry, I… I don’t know what to say. I really thought he would’ve told you,” Max said.

El’s eyes had glazed over. She was looking down at the floor, and nothing that Max was saying was registering in her mind anymore. All El could see in her mind was Mike with Lindsey. She felt a sharp pain inside her chest, as if someone had stabbed her in the lungs. 

“El? El?” Max was calling her name, and eventually, El snapped out of it and looked at her.

“S-sorry,” El mumbled.

“Don’t be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about,” Max said.

“I’m, uh… I’m sorry, I’m ruining girls’ night,” El said emotionlessly.

“Don’t worry about that,” Max said.

“No, please… K-keep talking to me. About anything,” El said. “The parties, your new friends… whatever that stand thing was.”

Max studied El’s face, and her heart broke from the look of anguish in El’s eyes. Clearly, El was asking her to talk about anything to keep her from breaking down. Max nodded. She started telling the story about the kegstand. Of course, Max decided that right now was probably not the best time to share that she ran into and reconciled with Abby. Max chose to leave that part out.

While Max was talking, El’s thoughts continued to wander. She just couldn’t focus on what Max was saying. El was thinking of every time Mike looked her in the eyes and said that he loved her, that she was the most important thing in the world to him, that he could never lose her again. How could he say all these things knowing he was keeping something this big from her?

El felt her eyes start to mist with tears, and she blinked them back the best she could. She heard Max stop talking, and El looked up to see Max looking at her sympathetically.

“Max, I’m really sorry. I just can’t think about anything else right now. I need to talk to Mike,” El said.

Max opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, El had stood up and walked quickly out the door.

The five-minute walk to Mike’s dorm was a blur. El could hear Max’s voice next to her, but she did not hear the words. El’s mind was too busy spinning with the idea of Mike being with Lindsey in ways El thought he had only ever been with her. She thought of the night they got back together. Valentine’s Day. Mike had said he got closure with Lindsey. If Mike and Lindsey had been intimate, it would make more sense why Lindsey was as upset as she was after such a short time of seeing each other. El thought of the night a couple months before she and Mike got back together. In Lucas’s basement, right before she and Mike had sex, Mike told her that he and Lindsey never had sex. Could he really have lied to her about that? He had lied to her before, after all. El’s stomach was in knots. 

She reached Mike’s door and raised her hand to knock, but Max stopped her.

“El, what are you going to say?” Max asked.

“I’m going to ask him about Lindsey and tell him to tell me the truth,” El replied.

“I one hundred percent support you, but I think maybe you should take some time to chill before going in there,” Max said.

“I can’t chill,” El said. “I won’t be able to calm down until I know the truth.”

Just then, the door opened, and Will was standing in front of El, looking confused.

“I thought I heard voices out here,” he said and then turned to address Mike over his shoulder. “It’s El and Max.”

“Hey baby, what are you doing here? I thought you and Max were having a girls’ night,” Mike said as he walked over to join Will at the door. As soon as he reached the doorway, Mike saw the fury on El’s face and felt the tension already building. “El, what’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to you,” El said steadily

“Uh – yeah, sure,” Mike said, looking confused. He turned to Will. “Could you and Max-”

“Yeah, of course,” Will interjected. He knew whatever was about to happen was not good, and he wanted to get out of there. “Come on, Max.”

Mike looked over El’s shoulder at Max, and Max gave him a disapproving look before following Will down the hallway to the lounge. He looked back down at El and was alarmed by the anger, pain, and confusion he could read on her face. Mike stepped to the side and let El into the room.

“El, what’s going on?” he asked as soon as the door was closed.

“You say you love me, you say you never want to hurt me, and you say I’m your best friend, right?” El asked with a firm tone Mike had never heard her use before.

“Yes, of course. That’s all true,” Mike replied.

“Well, friends don’t lie. So I’m going to ask you one time, and I want you to tell me the truth,” El said, her voice starting to waver. She swallowed hard and focused on staying strong.

“Anything,” Mike said, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

“Did you ever have sex with Lindsey?” El asked.

“No,” Mike replied, shaking his head.

“Don’t lie to me,” El said.

“I’m not lying,” Mike insisted. “I promise you, El. It never happened. You’re the only one.”

El crossed her arms over her chest and studied his face, subtly shaking her head. His eyes were pleading with her to believe him.

“So, you never had sex with her in your basement?” El asked.

“No,” Mike repeated. “I never had sex with her anywhere. Where is this coming from?”

El inhaled sharply to try and calm the anxiety that was raging through her. She tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“Max told me,” was all El got out before her voice cracked.

“What do you mean Max – oh… shit,” Mike stopped suddenly.

El watched as the color drained from Mike’s face, he closed his eyes and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

“Listen, baby, I can explain,” he started.

“Don’t ‘baby’ me,” El spat. “So it’s true?”

“No, it’s not,” Mike said. “I know what Max thinks she saw-”

“Max said she walked into your basement and walked in on you,” El said. “She said you were on top of Lindsey and you were both naked. There’s only one thing that could mean, Mike.”

“Look, I know how this sounds, and I know that’s what Max thinks she saw, but El, we were not having sex. Please, let me explain,” Mike pleaded, taking a step toward her.

El huffed and looked up at him with her arms still crossed and tears rimming her eyes. Mike felt his heart clench in his chest, and he just wanted to wrap El up in his arms and kiss her and hold her… He hated seeing her cry.

“We were not having sex,” Mike said again slowly. “We… we probably would have… if Max hadn’t walked in.”

The tears finally spilled over and started rolling down El’s cheeks. Mike stepped closer to her and reached out to wipe her tears, but El swatted his hand away. She turned and wiped her cheeks dry herself.

“You told me you didn’t love her,” El whispered.

“I never loved her. I was in love with you the whole time. I’ve always been in love with you,” Mike explained. “Everything with Lindsey, it was just physical. It was just to take my mind off how much I missed you and how lonely and fucking heartbroken I was.”

“It was just physical,” El repeated. “How physical was it, Mike? Because you told me-”

“I told you I never had sex with her, and I didn’t,” Mike said. “But yeah, we… we did do other things.”

“Like what?” El demanded.

“W-what? You want me to tell you, like-”

“I want you to tell me what you did to her. What she did to you,” El’s voice broke again and she paused to swallow down the lump in her throat.

“I just don’t see how that would do any good,” Mike said patiently.

“Because then at least I would know the truth,” El exclaimed. “I’ve been thinking this whole time that you and I have only ever been with each other… That we were so in love that even when we were broken up and seeing other people, we couldn’t be with those people physically because of how much we still loved and wanted each other… But apparently that’s not true.”

“Yes, it is,” Mike insisted.

“No, it’s not,” El argued. “I made out with Brad, but that’s it. I stopped him every time he tried to touch me. Hell, I threw him off of me with my fucking powers because the thought of having sex with him was so wrong to me because it wasn’t you.”

Mike was stunned. He had never seen El this angry with him. She had never cussed at him like that.

“But you were so close to having sex with Lindsey that the only thing that stopped it was the fact that Max just happened to walk in,” El continued. “So I want to know everything. I’m guessing she touched you. Did you let her suck your dick?”

“El, please. The reason I never told you the details about what Lindsey and I did together was because I didn’t want-”

“Didn’t want to hurt me?” El interjected. “Were you going to keep this from me for the rest of our lives?”

Mike said nothing but gaped at her. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“That’s what I thought,” El said. “Now, did she suck your dick?”

“Yes,” Mike replied quietly.

“Did you like it? Was she good?” El demanded, the tears stinging her eyes again.

“El, it meant nothing to me,” Mike said.

“I didn’t ask what it meant to you. I asked if it was good,” El said, not bothering to wipe the tears that were streaming down her face. “Did she make you feel as good as I do? Do you compare me to her?”

“Of course not! El, there’s no comparison. You-you’re way better… at everything. You make me feel better than anyone else in the world ever could. There are feelings with you. I’m in love with you,” Mike explained, begging her to understand. “The only reason things went as far as they did with Lindsey was because I thought I’d lost you, and I was just trying to move on and not feel as miserable as I did every day.”

“Did you finger her? Eat her out? Did you make another girl cum?” El asked, narrowing her red eyes.

Mike’s vision blurred with his own tears now. She wasn’t hearing what he was saying; she was so angry, and she had the right to be. All Mike could do was answer her questions.

“Yes,” he said quietly.

He expected El to scream at him, to yell, to slap him. Anything. But she did not react. Mike raised his eyes from the floor, and his heart shattered when he saw her face. El’s eyes were clenched tightly shut, and her shaky hands were covering her mouth, trying to silence her sobs while tears spilled down.

“El,” Mike said quietly, his voice breaking.

“I know…” El whispered. “I know that we were broken up… so you didn’t technically do anything wrong… but how could you?”

She finally opened her eyes.

“How could you be with another girl and enjoy it? How could you not tell me about it? You looked me in the eyes and told me you never had sex with her,” El said.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, El,” Mike said softly. “Saying ‘I didn’t have sex with her, but we did all these other things’ just didn’t seem necessary to me. I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you, it’s just… it didn’t seem important. All I cared about was you, getting back together with you.”

“Mike, I love you,” El said through her tears. “But I just can’t stop picturing you with her.”

“It meant nothing to me,” Mike pleaded with her. “I love you. I love you so fucking much, El, I – What can I do? How can I fix this?”

El shook her head. This was too much to process.

“I love you, but I need some time to think,” she said and started walking toward the door.

Mike started to panic. She couldn’t leave; not like this. He reached out to grab her arm.

“Wait, baby, please,” he begged. “El, please, don’t leave.”

He saw El’s knuckles turn white from how tightly she was gripping the doorknob, and he heard her let out a ragged sob. Then, El pulled the door open and left.

Down the hallway in the lounge, Will and Max saw El leave Mike and Will’s room and storm down the hall. Will and Max hurried back down the hall until they reached the open doorway where Mike was still standing with tears staining his face.

“What the hell happened?” Will asked.

Mike was numb, but he stepped to the side to let them in.

“Mike? Is El okay? Are you okay?” Will asked.

“No. Nothing is okay,” Mike said quietly.

“What happened?” Will asked again.

Mike turned to look at Max.

“What the fuck did you tell her?” Mike demanded.

“I told her what I saw,” Max replied.

“I thought we were friends, Max,” Mike said.

“We are,” Max said. “But El is my best friend, and when I realized she didn’t know-”

“If we were friends, why didn’t you come to me and ask me about it first? Before you went to El?” Mike asked, getting angrier.

“Didn’t know what? Ask you about what? What are you guys talking about?” Will asked.

“I told El tonight that Mike had sex with Lindsey,” Max revealed.

“Which really fucking sucks, because I didn’t actually have sex with Lindsey,” Mike added.

“Mike, I saw-”

“I know what you saw,” Mike interjected. “And I realize how stupid I was not to talk to you about it later, but it was not something I really wanted to talk to you about, and I never thought you would turn around and tell El about it.”

“If you know what I saw, then why are you saying you didn’t actually have sex with Lindsey?” Max asked.

“Because I didn’t. We were about to, but you came in and ruined the mood. We never got back to that point again because I couldn’t let myself be with her knowing how much I still loved El,” Mike explained.

Max’s mouth gaped open. She knew she fucked up.

“Mike, I’m sorry,” she said.

“Where did El go?” Will asked.

“I don’t know,” Mike shrugged. “She said she needed some time to think.”

“She’ll come back,” Will said reassuringly, placing his hand on Mike’s shoulder.

“Yeah, and when she does, what if she breaks up with me again? I can’t take that again, guys. I just can’t,” Mike said, the tears returning to his eyes.

“She’s not going to break up with you,” Will said gently. “She loves you. She’s just angry and hurt right now.”

Mike nodded and wiped his eyes.

“I hope you’re right,” he whispered.

“I know I am,” Will said.

“I think so, too,” Max added, but Mike would not even look her way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Surprise! I’ve been inspired lately to keep writing this story non-stop. So, I hope this chapter calms some nerves and emotions that the previous chapter stirred up. I hope you all enjoy it. Please remember to leave me a review and let me know!

When El left Mike’s room, she was desperate for fresh air. Once she was outside, she walked aimlessly, no destination in mind, just trying to process everything that had just happened. Eventually, she found herself nearing her own dorm hall, but she didn’t want to go inside yet, so she sat down on a bench along the walkway.

The tears had finally stopped falling, and El wiped away the streaks on her face. Luckily, it was getting dark, so no one would be able to tell how red and puffy her eyes were unless they got close enough for a good look at her face. 

She couldn’t believe what just happened. Just a couple hours ago, everything with Mike was perfect. Everything came crashing down so fast and completely out of nowhere. How could Mike not have told her the truth about Lindsey? They had been back together for over six months. How long was he planning on keeping it a secret? Was he ever planning on telling her? The night they got back together, El thought they had cleared the air of everything. She thought they were starting fresh and stronger than ever. Now, she was feeling the kind of pain she hadn’t felt in almost a year.

“El?” came a voice from off in the distance.

El turned to look and saw Bethany and Cam halfway between their dorm hall and the bench where El was sitting. Bethany and Cam started walking toward her, and El quickly wiped her cheeks again just to make sure all her tears were gone.

“El, hey, what are you doing sitting out here in the dark?” Bethany asked when she and Cam got close enough.

“I’m just thinking,” El shrugged, looking down at the ground.

“Didn’t you say your best friend from back home was visiting this weekend?” Bethany asked as she sat next to El. “Did you get in a fight with her or something?”

“No, not with her,” El replied quietly. There was silence as Bethany felt a hunch as to who El had actually had a falling out with.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Bethany asked gently.

El was silent for a moment while she considered this. Bethany was so different from Max, and she was unbiased toward the whole situation. Maybe an outside opinion would help.

“Max – my friend from home – told me something about Mike tonight,” El started carefully. “You know how I told you that Mike and I broke up for a while last year? Well, tonight, Max told me that she saw Mike… being intimate… with another girl during the time we were broken up.”

“Did you know Mike was seeing someone else when you broke up?” Bethany asked.

“Yeah, I knew that. But when Mike and I got back together, I asked him if he and the other girl – her name is Lindsey – if they ever had sex, and Mike said no,” El explained. “So, I didn’t know what to believe. I didn’t want to believe Mike had lied to me, but Max said she walked in and saw it with her own eyes… So, I confronted Mike about it.”

“What did he say?” Bethany asked.

“He said it wasn’t true. He said he and Lindsey never went all the way,” El replied. “But, he admitted that he and Lindsey had gone farther than he ever told me… I, uh, made him tell me details about what he and Lindsey did… And I was just so angry and hurt that he kept it from me all this time. Mike said he didn’t tell me because he didn’t want to hurt me. He said she didn’t mean anything to him, and he only did things with her because he didn’t know if he and I would ever be together again… And I get that… But the thought of him being with someone else…”

“I’m so sorry,” Bethany said gently when El had finished recounting her fight with Mike.

“And now I don’t know what to do,” El said. “I love him so much, but I’m just so… mad isn’t the right word… I hate that he didn’t tell me, but now that he told me, I hate that I know… I’m confused. I don’t know how I feel.”

El let out a deep sigh, and Bethany put her arm around El’s shoulders.

“I know I don’t know Mike, but maybe I could give a little perspective here,” Cam offered slowly.

“Sure,” El nodded.

“Well, I’ve been in love with Bethany for four years. She’s my everything. I’m guessing Mike feels the same way about you,” Cam started. “If Bethany broke up with me for any reason, I can’t even begin to tell you how lost and broken I would feel.”

Bethany placed her other hand on Cam’s knee and squeezed it.

“Mike probably turned to this Lindsey person for a shoulder to cry on, and one thing eventually just led to another. I don’t know either of them, so I’m just guessing, based on the fact that he was probably in a very vulnerable place,” Cam continued. “He missed you, he felt horrible about himself, and having this girl to take his mind off of that and make him feel better, even just for a little bit, probably gave him some relief from the hell he was going through.”

El nodded as she let Cam’s words sink in.

“He told you it didn’t mean anything, and it probably didn’t. If it were me, I would probably be doing anything I could to feel better, too,” Cam said. “And when you two got back together, he probably didn’t tell you the details about the other girl because none of it mattered to him. He had you back, and he probably felt whole again. I know I personally wouldn’t feel complete if Bethany left me. I guarantee that Mike probably hasn’t thought about this Lindsey girl since you two got back together, and that’s why he never thought to bring it up. She didn’t mean anything to him; you do… Again, I don’t know him, so this is just my opinion based on how I think I would feel.”

“He did… he did say one time that there is a difference between love and sex. It was vague, but that was probably the closest he ever got to telling me anything about him and Lindsey,” El recalled.

“He was definitely saying that you and him, that was love. Whatever he had with Lindsey was just sexual, just to make him feel better,” Cam said. “Once you were back in his life, I’m sure he didn’t give Lindsey a second thought.”

El nodded again. She had to admit that she had calmed down substantially while sitting out on that bench. 

“That really does make sense,” she admitted. “It’s just hard, you know, imagining him with her.”

“I bet,” Bethany said sympathetically. “But what would be harder? Knowing that he briefly had some sort of physical relationship with another girl for a few months while you were broken up, or knowing that you pushed away the love of your life because you couldn’t stop imagining him with someone that he never even put on the same level as you?”

“If you guys are together for the rest of your lives, will those few months really matter in the long run? It sucks right now because you just found out, but I’m sure if you give it some time, neither one of you will ever remember this other girl existed,” Cam added.

They made some good points. El didn’t want to strain hers and Mike’s relationship over this. She knew how much they loved each other, and even though it hurt to find out what Mike had kept from her, she knew it was something she would have to accept and leave in the past.

“Thank you,” she said. “You guys really helped a lot.”

“Good,” Bethany smiled. “Isn’t he a smooth talker? You see how he’s kept me around all these years?”

El chuckled as Cam leaned in and kissed Bethany’s temple.

“Just go talk to him,” Cam said.

“I will,” El nodded. “But thanks, both of you, for everything.”

She stood from the bench and hurried back in the direction of Mike’s dorm.

Back in Mike and Will’s room, Mike was laying on his back on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, thinking of every scenario that could happen the next time he sees El. Would she break up with him? Tell him that she loves him but she just can’t accept that he has been with another girl? Would she break up with him for keeping such a big secret from her? Could he stop her before she breaks up with him? Tell her that he wasn’t trying to hide anything? Would she believe or even listen to anything he would try to say? Maybe she wouldn’t break up with him, after all. But then would there just always be some level of tension between them? Would she ever fully trust him again?

“Mike… I know you’ve heard me say this, like, ten times already, but I really am sorry,” Max said from where she was sitting on Will’s desk chair.

Max had been trying to talk to Mike ever since he explained to her and Will what happened and Max had realized her mistake. So far, Mike was not receptive to her apology.

“Why is she still here?” Mike asked, turning to Will who was sitting on his own bed.

“Until El comes back, Max doesn’t have anywhere else to go,” Will reminded him. “We can’t just throw her outside.”

Mike sat up and looked directly at Max for the first time all evening.

“I want you to know that if Lucas wasn’t one of my best friends, that is exactly what I would do to you. I am so fucking done, Max. This is it,” he said.

“Mike, I swear, I wasn’t trying to interfere,” Max said.

“I don’t believe you,” Mike said immediately, shaking his head. “I have no reason to believe you.”

“It just came up, and I thought you and El would have talked about it before getting back together,” Max explained.

“I don’t want to hear your bullshit reasoning, Max. You promised me in my basement before El and I got back together that you would never interfere again, and you blew it,” Mike said.

“Mike, I wasn’t trying-”

“I do not care,” Mike said firmly. “And stop apologizing. I don’t want to hear it.”

A tense silence filled the room. Max looked down at the floor, and Will looked awkwardly between Mike and Max, unsure of what to say, if anything. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Mike sprung up from his bed and hurried over to open it. The second he saw El standing in front of him, Mike had the urge to wrap her up in his arms and hold her tight, but he resisted. El did notice the sigh of relief that he breathed.

“Hi,” she said, a small smile crossing her lips.

“Hi,” Mike said back softly.

“Can I come in?” El asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Mike replied and let her in.

Once inside the room, El looked shyly from the floor up to Mike and back to the floor. Will suddenly cleared his throat before standing from his bed.

“Come on, Max. Let’s give them some time to talk,” he said.

Max nodded and followed Will out of the room, leaving Mike and El alone.

“Mike,” El said softly. “I love you, but-”

She paused when she noticed Mike tense up and look to the floor.

“What is it?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

Mike was bracing himself for whatever was coming after that ‘but.’ He was waiting for her to say that she just can’t get over picturing him with Lindsey. He was trying to prepare himself, trying to build his walls up so he wouldn’t completely break down in front of her.

“Mike?” El asked gently, taking a step toward him.

“Just… go ahead and do it,” Mike said just above a whisper, sniffling and trying to blink back the tears that were forming. “Damn it,” he whispered, scolding himself as he wiped his eyes.

“Do what?” El asked, confused.

“You’re breaking up with me, aren’t you?” Mike asked, and El was taken aback by how small and emotionless his voice sounded.

“Breaking up with you?” El repeated. She was stunned. “Mike, no… I’m not breaking up with you.”

“You’re not?” Mike asked, a glimmer of hope shining in his watery eyes.

“No,” El replied gently, shaking her head. She stepped forward and took both of his hands in hers.

Mike let out a long, shaky sigh of relief as his walls started coming back down.

“Thank god,” he sighed. “I didn’t know how I was going to make it… it would’ve been three times…”

“Mike, look at me,” El said, raising one hand to cup his face and hold his gaze with her own. “I don’t want you to worry about me breaking up with you every time I get upset. I love you more than anything… more than life. I don’t know how to tell you how much you mean to me.”

“I love you, too,” Mike said quietly. “You were just… so mad when you left…”

“Yeah, and I’m sorry about that,” El said. “I actually came back to talk to you about that.”

“El, you’ve got to believe me that I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you. It’s just that Lindsey never meant a fraction of what you mean to me, and I haven’t thought about her in God knows how long,” Mike said.

“I know,” El smiled softly. “It was hard for me to hear because… well, I guess it’s because everything about that time is so hard for me to think about. I know some good came out of it at the end, but I hate to think about you being with her.”

“I know… Before Brad did what he did to you, thinking of you with him was horrible,” Mike said. “The first time Lindsey and I even did anything, it was at that party after homecoming. I had just watched you go into a bedroom with Brad… It was hell, El. She wanted to, and I just wanted to feel anything other than what I felt seeing you with him, so I let her.”

El squeezed Mike’s hand that she was still holding.

“I wish that you never had to feel that way… that none of it ever happened. I really wish that I never broke up with you,” El said.

“Yeah, me too,” Mike chuckled.

“But… it did happen, and we can’t change that. I can’t be mad at you for trying to make yourself feel better while we were broken up,” El said. “No matter how much it hurts to think about it. I do realize that now. I just had to clear my mind.”

Mike nodded and seemed even more relieved.

“I’m glad you were able to clear your mind and think about it, but… God, it was so hard watching you leave like that,” he admitted. “I was… I was just convinced you were going to break up with me for good this time.”

“Mike,” El said gently, wrapping both of her arms around his neck and pressing herself close to him. “I told you. I’ve experienced life without you, and I never want to do that again… We’re going to get upset with each other sometimes, and I might need to be alone to calm myself down or think things through. But I will always come back, okay? I need you to trust me on that.”

“Okay,” Mike nodded.

El smiled and leaned up to kiss him slowly. Mike wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly and never wanting to let her go again.

“I wish I could stay with you tonight,” El said when she had finally pulled back.

“I wish you could, too,” Mike agreed.

“Max is leaving Sunday morning. Stay with me Sunday night?” El asked.

“Absolutely,” Mike said and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

“Okay, well I’m going to go get Max and head back to my room,” El said, and Mike nodded.

She leaned in to kiss him again and hugged him extra tight before letting go.

“Have a good night, sweetie. I love you so much, and I’m sorry for everything tonight,” El said.

“I love you, too,” Mike said. “And I’m sorry you had to find out the way that you did.”

“I think she meant well… There was a huge misunderstanding, though,” El said.

“Maybe,” Mike said. “But I don’t think I can handle any more of Max’s misunderstandings. I’m not trying to tell you who to be friends with, but don’t be surprised if I distance myself from her for a while.”

“I understand,” El said gently.

Mike and El kissed good night again, and then El left to get Max and go back to her dorm room. When El and Max returned to El’s room, El explained that Bethany and Cam had helped her process what had happened that evening and understand where Mike was coming from. 

“Wow, it sounds like you do have some good friends here,” Max said.

“Yeah, I do,” El nodded.

“El, you know I wasn’t trying to cause a fight or break you and Mike up, right?” Max asked.

“I know,” El said.

“I honestly thought it was something Mike would’ve talked to you about before you got back together,” Max explained. “And I guess I didn’t see exactly what I thought I saw… Mike said tonight that I should’ve come to him first before telling you, and I guess he was right.”

“I know you meant well,” El said. “Asking Mike about it and encouraging him to talk to me probably would’ve been a better way to go… But, it’s over now. Everything is okay again.”

“Other than the fact I’m pretty sure Mike hates me now,” Max said.

“I don’t think Mike hates you,” El said.

“While you were gone, Mike literally said that he was done with me and that the only reason he didn’t kick me out of his room and leave me outside by myself is because Lucas is his best friend,” Max revealed.

“Well… I’ll talk to him, but… Maybe you and I shouldn’t talk about mine and Mike’s relationship anymore,” El said slowly. “At least, not for a while.”

“What are you talking about? I’m your best friend,” Max said, unable to hide the hurt in her voice.

“I know, but Mike is my best friend, you know, in a different way,” El said. “I just think there will be fewer misunderstandings if you and I don’t really talk about me and Mike anymore.”

Max gaped, speechless, at El. Her best friend was shutting her out of the most important part of her life.

“Wow, um, okay,” Max stumbled.

“We can still talk about other things,” El said quickly. “Classes, friends, movies, music, home. Literally anything else.”

“Just nothing too personal, right? You can’t trust me getting too close to you and Mike because I might fuck it up again?” Max asked.

“That’s not what I’m saying. I just think tensions are high with you and Mike right now, so maybe it would be best if you weren’t so involved with us,” El explained.

“Are you going to say the same thing to Bethany and her boyfriend? Because it sounds like they talked to you an awful lot about Mike tonight,” Max said.

“That’s different,” El said.

“Why? Because they said a bunch of stuff you wanted to hear?” Max asked.

“No, because they don’t have a history of causing drama between us,” El said before she could stop herself.

“Oh, okay,” Max said bitterly. “So you still blame me for all of yours and Mike’s problems.”

“No, I don’t, but you haven’t always been the most supportive of our relationship,” El said. “Bethany and Cam, they understand.”

“I have always been supportive of you, El. Whether that meant you dating Mike or being single to see what’s out there, I supported your decisions. But if you just want a best friend who is going to tell you how wonderful Mike is all the time and not tell you the truth even when it hurts to hear it, then you’re right, we shouldn’t talk about your relationship anymore,” Max spat.

Max stood up and grabbed her duffle bag from El’s desk before heading toward the door.

“Where are you going?” El asked.

“I’m leaving. You clearly don’t trust me, and you’re going to shut me out over a misunderstanding,” Max said as she opened the door. “Oh, and so much for Bethany not replacing me.”

Max slammed the door and stormed away from El’s room all the way to the parking lot where she had left her car. It wasn’t until Max had tossed her duffle bag in the backseat and situated herself in the driver’s seat that she exhaled deeply and let herself start to feel again. Tears started to blur her vision, and she let out a frustrated scream while she hit her steering wheel over and over. Max sat for a few minutes, breathing heavily, and letting her heartrate calm back down. She felt better after letting her outburst out. Max dried her tears, turned on her car, and drove out of the parking lot.

Four hours later, Max turned off her car in the visitor parking lot nearest Lucas’s dorm. She had cried off and on during the drive, so the streaks on her cheeks were visible and her makeup was smeared. Her eyes were red from crying and from being tired. She looked like a mess.

Max did not bother to grab her bag from the backseat; she strode briskly up to Lucas’s room and knocked on the door. The hallway was silent as she waited for a response. When she heard nothing, Max knocked again. Finally, she heard some shuffling, and she saw the door start to crack open.

“Max?” came Lucas’s hoarse, sleepy voice as he pulled the door open all the way.

“Is your roommate here?” Max asked.

“Yeah, he’s sleeping. It’s almost three o’clock in the morning,” Lucas said. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and finally took a longer look at her, as his vision had adjusted to the light in the hallway. “What happened? Why aren’t you at El’s?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Max brushed off his question. “I know it’s game day, and you have to be up in a few hours… But if you don’t mind being a little tired, maybe there’s some place we could go…”

The suggestive look in her eyes and the sultry tone her voice took helped Lucas wake up the rest of the way. He took her hand and led her down the hallway to the bathroom. Inside was a row of urinals, a row of toilet stalls, and then a row of showers. Lucas pulled her straight to the showers in the back of the large room.

They ducked into a corner shower stall and pulled the curtain closed. Lucas pressed Max against the wall and kissed her deeply. Max melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and hopping up to wrap her legs around his waist. Lucas placed his hands on her thighs to help hold her up, and Max felt his cock starting to harden as it was pressed between her legs.

Lucas moved his kisses down to her neck and he lifted her shirt over her head and discarded her bra. Her shorts and panties came off quickly, and Lucas draped Max’s clothes over the shower curtain rod. Lucas had already been sleeping shirtless, so he was standing in front of Max in just his pajama pants, and when Max looked down she saw the tent that had formed in his pants. She pulled off Lucas’s pants and boxers and tossed them over the rod with her own clothes.

Then, Lucas reached over and turned on the shower. They were both shocked briefly by the cold stream of water that hit them, but it quickly warmed up, and Max found that it felt quite refreshing after her long drive. Lucas could see that Max was exhausted, so he guided her to the ledge in the corner of the stall and pushed down on her shoulders to sit her down. He sat on his knees in front of her and spread her legs, resting his hands on her silky thighs and opening her pussy up for him.

Lucas’s mouth was on her in an instant. Max sighed and leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes and losing herself in the feeling of Lucas’s tongue inside of her while the hot water fell over both of them. 

Lucas moved his tongue up to swirl around her clit, and he inserted a finger deep into her pussy.

“Ah!” Max cried out, gripping the edge of the ledge she was sitting on and arching into his face.

Lucas put in two more fingers, and Max instinctively spread her legs even wider. She opened her eyes when Lucas’s mouth and fingers disappeared just as abruptly as they had arrived. She saw that Lucas was standing up, his cock was rock hard and he was jerking it with one hand.

“Come here,” he grunted, and he reached for her.

Max let Lucas pull her to her feet, and then Lucas ran his hands down her body, over her ass, until he gripped the backs of both of her thighs. He hoisted her up, pushing her back against the wall, and Max wrapped her legs around his waist again.

Without another word, Lucas’s cock was inside her.

“Fuck,” he groaned while Max gasped at the sudden feel of him inside her.

Max’s arms were wrapped around Lucas’s neck, and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders as he began thrusting. He was pounding her against the shower wall, his own fingers gripping her thighs so hard they would bruise.

“Oh, fuck, Max… This is why you came here… You drove four hours in the middle of the night just so I could fuck you,” Lucas said.

“Fuck yes, I did,” Max said. “I needed you to fuck me… Needed to feel your big cock inside me.”

Lucas traced his fingers up to Max’s hips and began pulling her hips toward his own each time he thrusted into her, ramming even deeper inside her.

“Oh, fuck… Keep going, Lucas… You’re so deep inside of me, I… Fuck,” Max moaned as she squeezed her eyes shut and dug her nails deeper into Lucas’s skin.

Lucas pounded into her as fast as he could, fucking her into the wall. His breath was ragged in her ear, and Max knew he was getting close. She felt her pussy start to clench, and she dug her teeth into Lucas’s shoulder to stifle the scream that ripped from her throat.

“Ah, shit!” Lucas cried as his shoulder stung from her bite.

Her pussy was still fluttering around his hard cock when she released her grip on him, and Lucas quickly pulled out and set her down on her own feet.

“Over here,” he grunted, guiding her back to the ledge she was sitting on earlier.

Max looked up at him while Lucas jerked his cock over her. As he started to cum, he aimed it right over her tits. Lucas groaned as Max pushed her tits together so all his cum could drip over them. When Lucas finished, Max used her fingers to mess his cum around her tits, coating her nipples in it. Then she licked her fingers clean.

“Jesus Christ,” Lucas panted. “You’re so fucking hot.”

Max smiled and stood up, planting a kiss on Lucas’s lips and letting him get one more good look at her tits covered in his cum before she turned toward the shower and let the water wash it away. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the comfort of the hot water and steam that surrounded her, until she felt Lucas place his hands on her hips from behind her and kiss her temple.

“I’m really glad you came down tonight,” he said quietly into her ear. “I mean, I was surprised, but this was an amazing surprise.”

Max tensed up slightly at his touch and pulled away so she was further under the water.

“You should probably get a few more hours of sleep now,” she said, turning around to face him.

“You should, too. I can tell you’re exhausted,” Lucas said.

After they had both rinsed off, they shut the water off and pulled their clothes on over their wet skin, both of them realizing too late that they had not brought towels. They went back to Lucas’s room, and Lucas gave Max some dry clothes to wear to bed. Careful to not wake Lucas’s roommate, they both changed into dry shorts and t-shirts, and then Max crawled into Lucas’s bed.

She tensed up again when Lucas laid down behind her and slid an arm around her waist to hold her to his body.

“So, are you going to tell me what made you show up at 3AM?” he whispered.

“Not right now. Try to get some sleep,” Max replied.

“Okay,” Lucas whispered and then kissed her damp hair. “Love you.”

“Yeah… you too. Night,” Max said barely audibly.

A few hours later, Lucas’s alarm went off, and Max groaned as she was pulled out of her slumber. Lucas quickly shut it off and nuzzled back into Max’s neck.

“Don’t you have to get up?” Max asked sleepily.

“Yeah,” Lucas sighed. “But you can hang out here if you want. I can leave you my room key and my student ID if you want to use my meal plan to get some food. You can come to the game later, or you can just chill here and I’ll see you when I get back.”

“That’s okay. I should actually head back,” Max said.

“What? But you just got here. We can go to dinner tonight or maybe see a movie or something. You can go back tomorrow morning,” Lucas suggested.

“That sounds great, Lucas. We can definitely do that next time, but I really just want to go home,” Max said.

“Oh, okay,” Lucas said, disappointed. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, totally,” Max replied. “I just have some homework to do that I forgot about, and… my laundry is really starting to pile up.”

“It’s cool. I understand. You have shit to do,” Lucas said, standing from his bed and walking over to his closet.

Max got up as well and changed back into her clothes that had dried over the last few hours.

“I had a nice time though. It was exactly what I needed,” she said, walking over to Lucas. “Thank you.”

“Any time,” Lucas smirked. He leaned forward and kissed Max’s forehead. “I wish you could stay, but drive safe. Call me later tonight so I know you made it back, and we can make plans for next time.”

“Okay,” Max smiled and nodded.

They kissed goodbye, and then Max left for the long drive back to Terre Haute.

When she finally arrived back to her dorm, she startled Sarah when she opened the door.

“What the hell?! I thought you were staying the weekend at Purdue?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah, well. That fell through. I don’t want to talk about it,” Max said, dropping her duffle bag on the floor.

“Anything I can do?” Sarah asked.

Max sighed. She had spent the whole drive thinking about her fight with El, what Mike had said to her, and her feelings toward her relationship with Lucas. Truthfully, Max just wanted to forget about all of it.

“Find somewhere for us to go tonight,” she said. “I need to get drunk.”

“I’m on it,” Sarah smiled.

Max changed into her pajamas and laid down for a nap, looking forward to forgetting her problems, even just for a while.

As the week went on, El didn’t hear from Max again. She had called Max’s dorm three times since Max had stormed out Friday night, and she had left messages with Max’s roommate Sarah, but Max never returned her calls.

One morning, El was laying in bed in her room with Mike, and she couldn’t keep her mind off of Max. Sure, they had had an argument. El still thought it was a good idea to distance Max from the topic of her relationship with Mike, but she still cared about Max, and she wanted to know that Max was okay.

“What are you thinking about, baby?” Mike asked sleepily beside her.

“Max,” El sighed.

“Ugh,” Mike groaned and snuggled closer to her.

“I know she’s not exactly your favorite person, but I’m kind of worried about her,” El said.

“Look, you didn’t do anything wrong. She needed to hear everything that you said. You’ve called her several times. If Max wasn’t okay, her roommate would’ve said something. You can’t force her to call you back,” Mike said. “Just give her some time, and she’ll get over it eventually.”

“You think so?” El asked.

“I do,” Mike nodded. “But I have to get up now. I need to stop by my room before class.”

Mike squeezed her and kissed her hair one last time before standing up and pulling his clothes on. 

“Have a good day, babe. I’ll see you tonight,” El said from her spot propped up in her bed.

“Okay, I love you,” Mike said, leaning down to kiss her lips before leaving.

“I love you, too,” El replied.

Mike left El’s room and headed toward his own. When he got there, he found Will sitting at his desk, a frustrated look on his face as he scribbled on the notebook paper in front of him.

Will had seemed off recently. He was more irritable and seemed strangely distant. Mike noticed that Will was still hanging out with Adam on a daily basis, and he wondered if Adam might have something to do with Will’s mood. Adam had seemed nice enough when Mike met him, though.

“Hey,” Mike said as he closed the door.

“Hey,” Will replied, looking up from his desk.

The truth was that Will found himself struggling every day with how Adam made him feel. He had thought it would be possible to ignore the way he felt when he was around Adam, and that eventually he could force himself to not view anything with Adam as more than a new friendship, but he was seeing more and more that that was not the case.

Will had never felt this way about anybody, and the worst part was, he couldn’t tell anybody about it. He couldn’t tell Mike or El, he couldn’t tell his mom, and he certainly couldn’t tell Adam himself.

“What are you up to?” Mike asked.

“Just… trying to do some homework,” Will replied vaguely.

Mike looked over his shoulder and saw nothing but incoherent scribbles and doodles.

“Will, are you okay? You’ve seemed off the last few days,” Mike said.

“What do you mean?” Will asked.

“Well just, I don’t know, like something’s bothering you. Is there something on your mind? Anything you want to talk about?” Mike asked. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Will sighed. He couldn’t talk to Mike about this. But maybe Mike’s opinion had changed over the last few years? They were older now. Maybe Mike wouldn’t think he was a freak? Of course, Will couldn’t just ask him that outright. Maybe there was another way…?

“Um, actually, can I ask you something?” Will asked.

“Yeah, anything,” Mike replied, sitting in his own desk chair, facing Will.

“Okay, so… you know I love El, and I totally support you two together,” Will started, and Mike nodded. “But you know it’s, like, unconventional, right? Like, a lot about you and El is just… kind of weird.”

“O…kay,” Mike said slowly, completely confused as to where this was going.

“I don’t mean that as a bad thing,” Will said quickly. “It’s good, actually. It shows even though it’s something that others might view as weird, you don’t care because you make each other happy… Like, you were twelve years old when you feel in love with a stranger with superpowers and no hair, and now six years later, you’re still in love with her.”

“That’s all true, but where is this going?” Mike asked.

“Just that, I’m sure you never imagined yourself falling for someone like El. It came totally out of the blue,” Will said.

“Oh, absolutely,” Mike agreed.

“Right. And, you could have held out for someone you thought you were supposed to be with… a normal girl,” Will continued. “But you wouldn’t have been nearly as happy.”

“Not even close,” Mike confirmed.

“Exactly. So, I guess, was it scary? Didn’t you have thoughts about what everyone would say? You, being in love with this strange girl, and at such a young age?” Will asked.

“Well, sure, I mean… yeah, I had my concerns,” Mike admitted. “I thought you guys might think it was weird to actually date her. Obviously, the first time I admitted I loved her was totally by accident, as you can remember, but… But yeah, it was something I thought about, for sure. And I wish I didn’t have to lie to my parents about her, but… I don’t know, Will. El and I have an unconventional relationship, for sure. It started weirdly, she’s definitely not the typical girl I ever thought I would end up with, but I wouldn’t trade anything about our story for the world.”

“How did you get over worrying about what other people might say?” Will asked.

“My feelings for her were stronger than my fear of what other people might say,” Mike replied. “Hell, Lucas had been teasing me about having a crush on her since, like, the day after we found her. I knew El made me happy, and I just figured that the people who really mattered would accept that. If they didn’t, then I wouldn’t need them around.”

“Seems simple enough,” Will muttered.

“Why do you ask? Did you meet your own stranger with superpowers and no hair?” Mike chuckled.

“Not exactly,” Will chuckled in response. “I was just curious.”

“Look, if you met a girl and you really like her, then whatever it is that’s making you worry about what your friends and family would think, just stop worrying about it. I get that that’s way easier said than done, but if you think she’s going to make you happy, screw what anyone else would say or think,” Mike said.

Will nodded, avoiding eye contact with Mike and hoping his cheeks didn’t appear as hot as they felt.

“Thanks, Mike. That actually helps a lot,” Will said.

“Any time,” Mike said. “And I mean it. You’re my best friend. If she makes you happy, then I’m happy. I would love to meet whoever this secret girl is.”

“If and when there’s officially someone for you to meet, you’ll be the first to know,” Will replied.

“Awesome. Well, I actually just came to grab my books. I have to get to class,” Mike said.

“Okay. I’ll see you later,” Will said.

“Bye,” Mike replied as he grabbed his backpack and left.

Will let out a deep sigh of relief. He was sure Mike would still be surprised by the truth, but the conversation really did help Will feel a bit better. Just then, the phone started ringing, and he went over to answer it.

“Hello?” he asked.

“Will? Hi honey,” came Joyce’s voice.

“Mom! Hey, how are you?” Will asked, lighting up at hearing his mother’s voice.

“I’m good, honey. How are you? I haven’t heard from you kids in ages, it feels like,” Joyce said.

“I know. I’ve been swamped, Mom. But it’s all good. I’m doing okay,” Will replied.

“That’s great,” Joyce smiled. “How are your classes?”

“Fantastic. So much better than high school,” Will said.

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Joyce beamed. “I knew you would do great, sweetie.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Will said. “I do miss you, though. How’s Jonathan?”

“He’s good. I actually had lunch with him and Nancy a couple days ago. They’re both doing great. And I miss you, too, honey,” Joyce said. “Actually, the main reason I called was to see if you kids had any plans for next weekend.”

“Um, I don’t think so,” Will replied.

“Great. Why don’t you come home? There’s something I want to tell you and El about,” Joyce said.

“Is it bad? Do you want us to come this weekend instead?” Will asked.

“No, no, nothing bad, sweetheart,” Joyce assured him. “Next weekend is fine. Enjoy yourselves this weekend and have another good week at school.”

“Okay,” Will replied. “Yeah, we can come down next weekend.”

“Good! I was hoping you would be free,” Joyce smiled. “I’ll call El this evening to double check with her.”

“Yeah, it’s probably a good thing you’re asking her a week in advance. She and Mike usually have some sort of plans on weekends,” Will said.

“Good to know,” Joyce said. “Do you have classes today?”

“Yeah, in a little bit. I was just working on some homework, actually,” Will replied.

“Okay, sweetie. Well, I’ll let you go so you can get back to your homework,” Joyce said. “I’m proud of you. I love you, and I’ll see you next weekend.”

“Okay, Mom. I love you, too,” Will replied before hanging up the phone.

In Hawkins, Joyce hung the phone on the wall and let out a long sigh as she rested her forehead against it. She felt two arms wrap around her waist from behind, and she smiled when she felt a gentle kiss on her cheek.

“He’s able to come down?” asked the man who was holding Joyce.

Joyce nodded and turned around in his arms to look up at him.

“Yes. A couple days ago when I had lunch with my oldest, Jonathan, I asked him if he could come to the house next Saturday for some family time, and he said he will be here. Will just said he could make it. Now all I have to do is call El to make sure she doesn’t already have plans with her boyfriend,” Joyce said.

She felt butterflies in her stomach, and she shivered from the combination of nerves and excitement.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I just get so anxious when it comes to my kids,” Joyce said.

She remembered a few years ago when she had first introduced her boys to Bob and the nerves that had come with that.

“You think you’re anxious? I’m going to be meeting your three adult children. I just hope they like me.”

“Of course they’ll like you, Tim,” Joyce smiled up at him and placed a hand on the side of his face.

She hoped they would like him, anyway. Joyce had met Tim the weekend the kids all moved away for college, and they had been seeing each other steadily ever since. She really wanted her kids to meet him before things got much more serious, and she wanted to make sure they were comfortable with the idea of her seeing someone again.

“Well, I’m excited to meet them,” Tim said. “After everything you’ve told me about them this past month, I can only imagine how wonderful they all are.”

“They’re great kids,” Joyce confirmed. “They’re my whole world.”

“I can already tell you’re a wonderful mother,” Tim said, kissing her forehead. “I’m looking forward to next weekend.”

“Next weekend,” Joyce sighed and rested her head against Tim’s chest, hoping all would go well when she introduces her kids to the man she has been seeing.

That evening, Mike and El entered Mike’s room to find Will relaxing on his bed, watching tv and eating a bag of chips.

“Hey, did Mom call you?” Will asked as soon as he saw El.

“Yes,” El replied.

“You don’t have any plans yet next weekend, do you?” Will asked.

“No, I can go home,” El said.

“Your mom wants to guys to go home next weekend?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, she said she wants to tell us something,” Will explained.

“I wonder what it could be,” El said.

“Who knows,” Will shrugged. “Maybe she’s downsizing and sold the house since it’s just her now.”

“Could be,” Mike said, sitting on his bed and pulling El onto his lap.

“I hope it’s nothing bad,” El said, resting one arm around Mike’s shoulders.

“She told me it was nothing bad,” Will said.

“Why don’t you go home next weekend, too?” El suggested, turning to face Mike. “You can visit your family a bit, and you won’t have to be here by yourself.”

“That’s a good idea, babe,” Mike nodded. “I’ll call my mom tomorrow and let her know.”

“Oh! Why don’t we call Dustin and see if he wants to go home next weekend, too!” Will suggested excitedly.

“That would be fun,” Mike agreed as Will was already reaching for the phone.

“Maybe you could stay the night with me. My bed back home is bigger than the one here,” El muttered to Mike while Will was listening to the phone ring.

“I can stay with you one night, and you can stay with me the other night. It’s been a while since we’ve had some fun in my basement,” Mike smirked.

El smiled and nodded before leaning in to kiss him.

Will finally heard Dustin’s voice on the other end of the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Dustin! It’s Will,” Will said.

“Hey, Will. How’s it going?” Dustin asked.

“It’s good. I have a question for you,” Will said. “Do you have any plans next weekend?”

“Assuming I don’t stab myself in the eyeball after another lab with Suzie, no. No plans,” Dustin replied.

“Sweet. Do you want to go home to Hawkins for the weekend? Mom called and has something to tell me and El, and obviously Mike is coming along,” Will explained.

“Party reunion!” Dustin exclaimed. “Lucas won’t be able to make it, but we should ask him anyway, just in case. What about Max?”

“Oh, uh, you don’t know,” Will realized. “Max and El had a falling out last weekend, and none of us have heard from Max since.”

“None of you?! Not even Lucas?” Dustin asked.

“Well, I mean, Lucas probably has, but we haven’t asked him. El has tried calling Max a bunch of times, and Max won’t return her calls,” Will said, and he noticed El’s eyes fall to the floor.

“Shit. What happened?” Dustin asked.

“That’s not really important,” Will said.

“El’s in the room, and you’ll tell me later?” Dustin asked.

“Exactly,” Will said. “So are you in for next weekend?”

“You bet!” Dustin replied. “Are you thinking Friday night?”

“We’re going to go down Friday evening after classes, and we’ll stay until late Sunday morning,” Will said.

“Awesome. Count me in,” Dustin confirmed.

“I’m so excited to see you again,” Will smiled.

“Me too. I miss you guys,” Dustin said.

“We miss you, too,” Will replied.

“Alright, well tell Mike and El hi for me,” Dustin said.

“I will,” Will replied. “Let me know if anything changes, but I’ll plan on seeing you next weekend.”

“Oh, you will for sure be seeing me next weekend,” Dustin said. “Bye, Will.”

“Bye, Dustin,” Will said.

“He’s coming?” Mike asked when Will hung up the phone.

“Yep, he’ll be there,” Will replied.

Will looked over at Mike and El. El was sitting on Mike’s lap, her legs outstretched next to him on the bed and her arm wrapped around the back of his shoulders. Mike had one arm around her back and the other resting over her thighs. El’s head was leaning against Mike’s, and every so often one of them would mutter something to the other and they would share a quick kiss. Will was used to seeing things like this from Mike and El. He wondered if he would ever experience that kind of closeness himself. More importantly, he wondered if he would ever be that comfortable with the person he liked to openly show affection like that in front of other people.

“You okay?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just zoning out,” Will said with a smile. “I’m going to go downstairs and have a sandwich. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Once Will left the room, El weaved her hands into Mike’s soft hair and passionately brought his lips to hers. She nibbled on his bottom lip, prompting him to open his mouth to let her in.

“El,” Mike whispered against her lips and pulled back. “I totally forgot to tell you something about Will.”

“We only have a few minutes, babe. Do you want to kiss me or do you want to talk about my brother?” El smirked before leaning in for another kiss.

“Normally, kiss you. But hang on,” Mike said, pulling back again.

El sat back and looked into his eyes, waiting for him to continue.

“This better be good,” she said.

“I think he met a girl and he’s scared to tell us about her,” Mike said.

“What? Why? Why do you think that? Why would he be scared?” El asked, her eyes doubling in size.

“I don’t know. Earlier, he was asking me stuff about when you and I first met and how I felt telling my friends and family about you, and he asked me how I got over our relationship being different,” Mike said. “I told him that what I felt for you was way stronger than any worry I had about what someone else might think or say. He seemed to like that answer.”

“So he’s nervous we might not approve?” El asked.

“That’s what it sounded like,” Mike replied.

“He doesn’t really even need our approval. He should know that as long as he is happy, we’ll all be happy for him,” El said.

“I agree, but it’s Will. He’s never had a real relationship before,” Mike pointed out.

“Should we try to talk to him about it?” El asked.

“I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway,” Mike replied. “Let’s wait and see what he does after he’s had some time to think about things. And don’t tell him I told you anything.”

“But friends don’t lie,” El said innocently, her lips curling into a smile.

“No, but girlfriends keep secrets when their boyfriends ask them to,” Mike said.

“Fine,” El sighed. “We’ll wait until he talks to us. And I won’t say that I knew anything.”

“That’s all I ask of you,” Mike said.

“Really? That’s all?” El asked, her smirk turning mischievous as she wrapped her arms around his neck again.

“Well, that, and to let me do this until he comes back,” Mike murmured as his lips grew closer to hers again.

He kissed her deeply and felt her smile against his mouth. Mike laid her down on his bed and propped himself halfway on top of her, gently caressing the curve of her side. They were lost in their kiss until they heard Will’s keys in the door. Mike groaned against her lips as he pushed himself off of her as the door opened.

“To be continued,” Mike grumbled.

El giggled as she sat up next to him.

“What do you guys want to do tonight? Watch a movie or something?” Will asked.

“Sure,” Mike and El both agreed.

The three of them agreed on a movie and arranged themselves in their typical positions for movie night. El cuddled into Mike on his bed, and Will sat on his own bed, leaning his back against his pillows propped against the wall and eating the sandwich he had just gotten. He glanced over at them, at how happy they were, and he wondered once again if he would ever be able to have that. He asked himself again if his friends and family would accept him if they knew who he had those types of thoughts about. Lastly, he wondered how much longer he could keep it a secret from everyone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to make the most of it while remaining safe. I have a long one for you today, and I’ll let you know that a lot of stuff happens, and I would love your thoughts! Please enjoy, and remember to leave me a review!

Max woke up the following Saturday morning with a pounding in her head from the night before. Along the opposite wall, Sarah was still sleeping – or, passed out – in her own bed. Max hardly remembered how she and Sarah got home last night. She could only remember flashes of the drunken stumble through campus, but somehow they had made it safely to their dorm. Max was pleased at how good she and Sarah were getting at finding their way home when they could hardly stand up. It was certainly a skill none of her other friends would really appreciate.

Shit. Her other friends. Max rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. It had been a week since she had stormed out of El’s dorm, driven to Columbus, fucked Lucas in the shower in the middle of the night, and driven back to her own dorm after a few short hours of sleep. El had called her dorm several times; Sarah gave her the message each time, but Max was avoiding calling El back. What was the point? El had made clear that Max was not as much of a priority as Mike, and what was the point of Max making nice with El if El was only going to shut her out of the most important aspect of El’s life? El didn’t trust her. All because Max had been honest with her.

Then, of course, there was Lucas. When Max left El’s room that night, she had just been so angry and hurt, and she ended up using Lucas to make her feel better. She hadn’t gone there for intimacy. She wasn’t looking for her boyfriend that night, she was just looking for a good time. Lucas had provided that. But then he had tried to talk to her and get her to stay… Max knew it was not fair to keep the thoughts she had been having a secret from Lucas. She needed to tell him how she was feeling. In all actuality, going back to their casual arrangement would be more freeing for both of them. Surely, Lucas would be able to see it that way.

She rolled out of bed, a hand instantly rising to her throbbing head, and changed from her pajamas into a pair of jeans and a baggy crewneck sweatshirt. Max swallowed a couple Tylenol for her head and then trudged down the hallway to the lounge. She dialed Lucas’s dorm room number and listened to the phone ring.

“Hello?” came Lucas’s voice.

“Hey, Lucas. It’s me,” Max said.

“Max, are you okay? You sound off,” Lucas said.

“I’m fine. Just hungover,” Max replied halfway honestly. The hangover wasn’t the only problem with how she was feeling.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, babe, but maybe you should slow down with the constant partying,” Lucas said gently.

“Don’t act like you don’t party,” Max snapped.

“I do,” Lucas admitted. “But you’ve had a hangover more than half the times I’ve called you.”

Max said nothing but sighed in annoyance and pursed her lips.

“Look, I’m not trying to tell you what to do,” Lucas said. “But I love you, and I just want you to be careful.”

“I am careful,” Max said.

There was a silence between the two of them as if Lucas was waiting for Max to say something, but she could not figure out how to begin.

“Max, is everything okay?” Lucas finally asked, and Max continued to pause. “I mean, last weekend was kind of weird… Not you surprising me – that was great… But how you just left so quickly afterward, and you didn’t want to talk to me at all.”

“Don’t you think what we did was more fun than talking?” Max asked.

“Of course it was fun,” Lucas grinned. “But it just seemed like something was wrong, and I want to make sure you’re okay. We’ve hardly talked this week, and with us being long-distance now, it’s just really important.”

“Yeah… Do you think the long-distance is hard?” Max asked.

“It’s not as hard as I was expecting,” Lucas replied. “It’s hard being away from you so much, but it’s great when we get to see each other. And other than this past week, I feel like we’ve talked a lot, so we’re keeping the communication going better than I thought we would.”

“You didn’t think it would work?” Max asked.

“That’s not what I said,” Lucas said. “I just meant that it’s going smoother and easier than I thought it would, even with both of us in classes and having different schedules.”

“Oh,” Max said, and Lucas thought she almost sounded disappointed.

“Wait, does that upset you or something?” he asked.

“It’s not that…” Max said.

“What is it?” Lucas asked. “Max, you can talk to me.”

“Don’t you think you would enjoy college more if, you know, you didn’t have a serious girlfriend four hours away?” Max asked.

“Umm…” Lucas was stunned. “N-no? What are you talking about?”

“Yes you would, Lucas. You’re just saying that because you think it’s what I want to hear,” Max said.

“No I’m not. Where is this coming from?” Lucas asked.

“Look, we’re both at college now. We’re both at parties all the time and meeting new people. We’re both around temptation all the time,” Max said.

“Yeah, and part of being in a relationship is resisting that temptation,” Lucas said. “I haven’t given another girl a second look since I’ve been here.”

“You’re just saying that,” Max said again.

“No I’m not,” Lucas insisted. “Why would I?”

“Lucas, I went to that party with you at Marcus Baker’s house,” Max said. “You’re around the football team all the time. There are cheerleaders at every party you go to. There’s no way you don’t notice them.”

“I’m not interested in them,” Lucas said.

Max let out a frustrated sigh and tried to form the right words in her head.

“Wait. Have you been seeing someone else? Or hooking up with someone else?” Lucas asked.

“No,” Max replied quickly. “No, I haven’t… But what if I want to?”

There was silence from Lucas’s end of the phone.

“College is new to both of us. We’re free to do whatever we want, and we should both want to take advantage of these new experiences. I know I want to,” Max said. “I don’t want either of us to feel like we’re being held back.”

“You think I’m holding you back?” Lucas asked.

“I think we’re holding each other back from truly experiencing college and new people,” Max said.

“So you want to break up?” Lucas asked firmly.

“I just think we should go back to the way things were,” Max explained. “I really care about you, Lucas, so I want to be honest with you about what I’m feeling. I think you’re a great friend, and we have amazing sex together, and I just feel like if we weren’t so committed – if we had a casual arrangement again – we would both be able to enjoy everything college has to offer.”

“What are you saying? We cut the casual bullshit out back in February. It’s been, like, seven months. Now, all of a sudden, you want to throw away the seven months of progress we’ve made and essentially be fuck buddies?” Lucas demanded.

“I still want us to be us,” Max clarified. “I want us to talk and be friends. I’m more comfortable with you than with anyone else. But I don’t want either of us to be tied down and miss out on the college experience we should be having.”

“You want us to be us, but you don’t want us to be together,” Lucas stated. “I thought we were past the breaking up and being with other people bullshit. I thought we decided to give this a real try and be committed to each other.”

“We did… but maybe the timing was wrong,” Max said.

“No, maybe we were wrong,” Lucas said.

“Lucas, listen. I don’t want to lose you. I want us to-”

“I know what you want. You want to go back to being able to do whatever you want with whoever you want. You want me to be available when you want sex, but you don’t want to have a relationship. Well, that’s not what I want,” Lucas said.

“It won’t be like this forever,” Max said. “After we both get out there and-”

“No,” Lucas said firmly. “I don’t want an open relationship. I don’t want anything casual with you. I want the real thing or nothing. Either we’re both all in, or I’m out.”

“Wait, what?” Max asked.

“You heard me,” Lucas said. “We’ve done the on-again-off-again bullshit for about five years and a real relationship for seven months. You should know by now if you want to be with me. If you don’t want to be with me and only me, then we’re done.”

“I don’t want to be done forever,” Max said.

“Well, I can’t keep going back and forth with you,” Lucas said. “So, this is it. If you can’t commit to our relationship – our real relationship – and you want to hook up with other people so you can feel like you’re living the college life, then I’m done. I’m not taking you back again in a few months, either. So, what is it? Are you in or out?”

“Lucas, I… I don’t know what to say,” Max admitted. She really had not been expecting him to not take her up on her offer.

“That’s enough of an answer for me,” Lucas said. “Bye, Max.”

Before Max could say another word, Lucas hung up the phone. He knew he should feel hurt, but he felt more pissed than anything. Five years of his life wasted going back and forth with Max just for her to decide she couldn’t handle commitment after seven months of a real relationship. He picked up the phone again and called Mike, hoping Mike had stayed in his own room last night and not El’s.

“Hello?” came Mike’s voice.

“Hey, do you have a few minutes?” Lucas asked.

“Sure, what’s wrong?” Mike asked, hearing immediately in Lucas’s tone that something was not right.

“Max and I just broke up,” Lucas said.

“What? Really? Aw, man, I’m sorry,” Mike said.

Max was definitely not Mike’s favorite person, and he had not talked to her since the drama between himself, Max, and El last weekend, but Lucas was one of his best friends, and Mike knew how much Lucas cared for Max, even though he didn’t always understand why.

“It’s whatever,” Lucas shrugged.

“Are you okay?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s cool. It’s not like you and El, you know? It clearly just wasn’t meant to be,” Lucas said.

“Well, it’s good that you-”

“But it really does piss me off that she wasted five years of my life,” Lucas interjected, and Mike heard the anger in his voice return.

“What happened? Did you break up with her, or…?” Mike trailed off, letting Lucas infer the rest of the question.

“She broke up with me,” Lucas confirmed. “Well, I kind of ended it officially… I guess we broke up with each other? I don’t know, man. She wanted us to go back to a casual arrangement so we could still hook up whenever but not be committed to each other so we could both fuck around while we’re apart for school.”

“Seriously? I thought you guys were passed that,” Mike said.

“Yeah, so did I,” Lucas agreed. “I told her no. I said I didn’t want that and that she should know by now if I’m what she wants. I asked her if she was in or out, and she couldn’t give me an answer, so I ended it.”

“Shit… I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry,” Mike said. “Do you think she’ll come back in a few weeks or months?”

“She might try,” Lucas replied. “But it would be a waste of her time, and I told her that. I told her I can’t keep going back and forth. This was it, for real, this time. I’m done. For good.”

“Well, good for you,” Mike said. “I know you love her, and I’m trying to keep my feelings about her separate when I say this, but you deserve better. You shouldn’t have to ask someone to be committed to you.”

“I know,” Lucas sighed. “You’re right.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Lucas replied.

“Are you sure? I can be there in a few hours,” Mike said.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I have a game today, anyway. I’ll be fine,” Lucas repeated.

“Okay. Well, you can call me any time,” Mike said.

“I’m sure it doesn’t break your heart to hear me bitch about Max,” Lucas chuckled.

“Like I said, I’m trying to be objective here,” Mike said.

“I know. I appreciate that,” Lucas said. “I need to start getting ready.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later,” Mike said. “Oh – El, Will, Dustin, and I are going down to Hawkins next weekend. I know you have a game Saturday, but if you wanted to come home Saturday night and hang out and leave Sunday, that would be cool.”

“I’ll think about it, but I probably won’t be able to make it,” Lucas replied.

“Okay. Good luck today,” Mike said.

“Thanks. Bye,” Lucas said.

“Bye,” Mike replied and hung up the phone.

“What was that all about?” Will asked from where he was sitting at his desk, having heard all of Mike’s end of the conversation.

“Max and Lucas broke up,” Mike replied. “She wanted to be casual, he wanted to be committed. He says he’s done with her for real this time.”

“Do you believe him?” Will asked.

“I guess we’ll see,” Mike shrugged.

Will nodded and stood from his chair, grabbing his keys and wallet before heading toward the door.

“I’m meeting up with Adam to hang out for a bit today,” he explained as his hand reached the doorknob.

“Okay, have fun,” Mike said and waved goodbye.

Will left his room and headed toward the student union where he and Adam had agreed to meet. Will did his best to calm the butterflies in his stomach as he thought about hanging out with Adam. At this point, he had accepted the fact that he liked Adam. He was attracted to Adam, he enjoyed spending time with Adam and getting to know him, and he wanted to spend as much of his time with Adam as he could. Of course, Will had not admitted this to Adam or anybody else; he had only recently admitted it to himself. He wasn’t sure when or if he would ever be able to admit it to Adam or anybody else. 

What would they say? His friends? His family? Will didn’t know any other gay guys… The only person he knew who wasn’t heterosexual was Robin, and he had not talked to her in ages. Would his friends and family think he was weird? Gross? Would Mike, Lucas, and Dustin want to stop hanging out with him? Would his mom be disappointed? Will’s talk with Mike had started to help him feel better about the situation, but Will still was not confident enough that he would be fully accepted if he admitted the truth.

Still, the excitement and desire to spend time with Adam overpowered the fear of admitting the truth, and Will always found himself happily meeting up with Adam. Of course, he wondered if it were even remotely possible for Adam to feel the same way. Will and Adam had not talked about it. In fact, they had not talked about relationships or sexuality at all. Adam had not mentioned seeing anybody – male or female. So, there was no way for Will to know if Adam was gay, and even if Adam was gay, there was no way for Will to know that Adam would return Will’s feelings. Sure, they had been spending a lot of time together, but Will was certain that Adam was just enjoying having a friend.

Will reached the student union and found Adam waiting for him. The two of them decided to get lunch together at one of the dining halls.

“What do you want to do today?” Will asked as they ate their lunch.

“I was thinking we could just chill and watch a movie or something back in my room, unless you have any ideas,” Adam replied.

“No, that sounds good. Do you have a roommate? Will he be there, too?” Will asked.

“I do, but he actually went home to see his family for the weekend, so it’ll just be us. Is that okay?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, of course. I was just curious,” Will replied, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly.

When they finished eating, Will and Adam walked to Adam’s room. It was the first time Will had been there; actually, it was the first time either of them had been to the other’s room at all. Both beds were lofted, and underneath one was a futon facing the television which sat on a small entertainment center underneath the other bed.

“Do you want a Coke?” Adam asked, opening the mini fridge next to the entertainment center.

“Yeah, sure. Thanks,” Will replied.

Adam pulled out two cold Cokes and set them on either arm of the futon. Then he pulled out a bag of pretzels and tossed it onto the futon as well. He looked and saw that Will was still standing awkwardly near the door.

“Make yourself at home,” Adam said, gesturing toward the futon.

“Thanks,” Will smiled and walked over to sit down.

Adam opened the cabinet door of the entertainment center and showed Will his collection of VHS tapes.

“What are you in the mood for? Comedy? Horror? Action? Sci-fi?” Adam asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Will shrugged.

“Here, pick one,” Adam said, holding out two tapes.

Will looked between Jaws and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

“Temple of Doom,” he said. “I watched Jaws a couple weeks ago with Mike and El.”

“Great choice,” Adam said.

Adam put Jaws back in its place in the cabinet and started preparing the movie. He turned off the lights – the only light was the sun coming in through the blinds – and took a seat next to Will on the futon. Adam opened the bag of pretzels and his can of Coke and started munching on the snacks. Will, on the other hand, was trying to focus on staying cool.

What was this? Was this a date? They were watching a movie alone together in the dark. Will had watched plenty of movies with Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. He tried to calm his stomach and focus on the film. Adam’s arm brushed against Will’s as he reached into the pretzel bag, and Will felt his palms turn clammy as his heart beat faster. 

“Are you okay?” Adam asked.

Will turned and saw Adam looking at him with a concerned expression.

“Yeah, I’m great,” Will forced a smile.

“Are you sure? You don’t look like you feel well,” Adam said.

“I feel fine,” Will insisted.

Adam turned back to the movie, and Will took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He would be fine. Will liked the movie that was playing; he just needed to focus on the movie and not on Adam who was sitting so close beside him. Of course Adam was sitting close; they were on a futon in a college dorm. Space was limited. It didn’t mean anything – 

Then, Will felt Adam’s fingers lightly graze his own fingers. Will held his breath and stared straight ahead, not daring to turn to look at Adam. Adam slipped his fingers in between Will’s to intertwine them, and Will could not hold back anymore.

Will pulled his hand back as if he had touched a hot flame. He turned to face Adam whose eyes were wide with embarrassment, a look of shame on his face.

“What are you-” Will started.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Adam said immediately. “I’m so sorry, I-”

Adam stopped and picked up the remote to pause the movie to get rid of the background noise.

“W-were you just…” Will was stunned.

“Yeah, I… I’m sorry. I thought you… never mind,” Adam was shaking his head. “I’m stupid. This is… humiliating.”

“What? No, you’re… you’re not stupid,” Will said. “I just… I wasn’t… expecting that.”

“I know, I… I guess I just assumed you… shit, I’m sorry, Will,” Adam said.

“Wait, what did you assume?” Will asked.

“I… Well, it’s just with all the time we’ve been spending together, I guess… I just assumed you… this is so stupid of me… I thought maybe you liked me,” Adam rambled until he admitted it.

Will gaped at Adam. He was completely stunned and did not know what to say. His brain could not form a coherent thought no matter how hard Will tried.

“I shouldn’t have assumed anything,” Adam said, looking down. “I swear I don’t just randomly make moves on people… Well, I guess I just did, but we’ve been hanging out for weeks and I thought… It doesn’t matter what I thought. I’m sorry. I hope we can still be friends.”

His brain was still struggling to process what had happened, and Will continued to stare at Adam.

“A-are you… do you like…?” Will tried.

“Yeah, I’m gay,” Adam admitted. “I didn’t tell you because I don’t normally tell people right away because I want them to get to know me for me… I think maybe if they know and like me enough before finding out… then maybe they’ll be more accepting. You and I have been hanging out for weeks now, and – normally I’m better with this and can tell pretty well if a guy is gay – I thought maybe you liked me, too… I’m sorry.”

“Wait… do you like… me?” Will asked slowly, not believing his ears.

“Yeah,” Adam admitted, nodding. “I do. I like you a lot. I’ve really liked getting to know you and being around you, and… I just didn’t know if you liked me back.”

Will was silent as he tried to process this information. He had been wrestling with admitting that he liked Adam, and here Adam was admitting to Will that he liked him in return. Could this really be happening?

“Look, if I freaked you out, I understand,” Adam said.

“No, it’s… it’s not that, um…” Will began. “I… I like you too.”

“You do?” Adam asked, his eyes lighting back up.

“Yeah,” Will nodded. “You… you were right… I just, um… I’ve never, like… I’m not…”

Will looked down at the floor, and the realization struck Adam. The way Will was stuttering so much, the way Will reacted when Adam touched his hand.

“You’ve never actually been with a guy before, have you?” Adam asked, and Will shook his head.

“I’ve actually never been with anyone before,” Will admitted. “I kissed one girl in high school, but that’s it. I’ve never been in a relationship or anything like that.”

“That’s okay,” Adam said reassuringly.

“That’s not all,” Will continued. “I’ve never… Well, my friends and family… Nobody knows that I’m…”

“Gay?” Adam finished, and Will nodded.

“I only admitted it to myself recently,” Will said. “I mean, people always thought I was, and I got bullied a lot because of it in Hawkins, but I never knew for sure… Until I met you, and I just started feeling these things that – I don’t know – things that I wouldn’t feel if I didn’t really like you.”

“So nobody knows?” Adam asked, and Will shook his head.

“Just you,” Will replied.

“And that’s okay. You shouldn’t feel pressured to tell anyone if you aren’t ready to,” Adam said.

“Honestly, I feel better admitting it to myself, and now to you,” Will said, and Adam smiled.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Adam said. “I remember when I finally admitted it back in my sophomore year of high school… I want you to know that you can always talk to me if you’re feeling confused or scared or whatever. I’ve been there.”

“Thanks. That means a lot,” Will smiled, feeling relieved.

“Of course,” Adam grinned in return.

“So, um… like I said, I’ve never felt this way or been in this situation before… um, what do we…?” Will trailed off and his cheeks turned beet red.

“I really like you a lot, and I’m really glad you like me, too-”

“I do,” Will confirmed.

“But I want you to be comfortable,” Adam continued. “So, we can take things as slow as you want to. I will always be here if you want to talk, and if you want help or support when the time comes to tell your mom or your friends, I’m here. I know this is new to you, so I want to help you through figuring it out.”

Will smiled and let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. It was such a relief to hear Adam’s words.

Soon, when they both understand the page they were on, Will and Adam leaned comfortably back onto the futon and continued watching the movie. Adam slipped his hand into Will’s hand again, and Will could not contain the grin on his face as he sat there that afternoon holding the hand of the person he finally admitted to liking, and he was lucky enough that that person liked him back.

That whole following week, Will and Adam hung out every day after classes. Now that they both knew they liked each other, Will felt a lot more comfortable around Adam. Will no longer felt like he was struggling to hide the truth about his feelings, and knowing that Adam liked him back was indescribable. 

Adam was more supportive than Will could have hoped for. It was helpful that Adam had been through what Will was feeling himself, and Will had taken the time over the last month to get to know Adam well enough to feel comfortable sharing his feelings with him and putting himself in that vulnerable state. He trusted Adam, and he felt safe being honest with him.

Nothing had progressed physically. Adam was very understanding that Will was inexperienced and wanted to take things slowly. Will wanted a strong emotional connection as a foundation before moving on to anything else, and Adam respected and agreed with that. They did hold hands when they were alone, and they hugged each other goodbye before separating for the night each evening. Will felt like he was floating each time Adam’s hand touched his or when Adam pulled him in for a hug.

When Friday came, Will was about to leave for Hawkins for the weekend with Mike and El. Mike was in El’s room with her, and Will and Adam were in Will’s room while Will finished putting together a weekend bag.

“So when are you coming back?” Adam asked.

“Sunday late morning or early afternoon,” Will replied.

“Cool. Well, I hope you have a good time with your family and friends,” Adam said.

“Thanks. I will,” Will said. “I do wonder what my mom wants to tell me and El, though.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing bad,” Adam said.

“Well, I should get going. I need to meet up with Mike and El in El’s room,” Will said.

“Okay,” Adam nodded.

Adam wrapped his arms around Will like he had every evening that week and hugged him tightly. Will breathed in the smell of Adam’s shampoo and cologne, memorizing the scent until he could be with him again on Sunday.

As Adam pulled back from the hug, he and Will locked eyes and found that neither could look away. Will felt himself slowly gravitating closer to Adam’s face, and soon Adam met him halfway and connected their lips. Will’s world stood still as he felt Adam’s soft lips press against his own for the first time. In that moment, Will understood the cheesy cliché of feeling fireworks, because he felt them himself.

Adam pulled back and smiled at the surprised expression on Will’s face.

“I hope that was okay,” Adam said.

“Um, y-yeah,” Will nodded.

“Good,” Adam smiled. “I’ll see you when you get back on Sunday.”

Will was quiet on the drive to Hawkins. He sat in the backseat of Mike’s car while El sat up front. Will could not keep the smile off his face or the thoughts of Adam off his mind. Mike and El noticed the change in Will’s behavior, and when they asked him about it, Will simply told them he was in a good mood. They did not press the issue.

The closer they got to Hawkins, the more recognizable the roads and trees became. Finally, they entered Hawkins city limits, and Mike drove them to his house. The plan was that the three of them were meeting up with Dustin at Mike’s house, and the four of them would hang out that evening. Dustin was going to give Will a ride to the Byers’ house for the night, and El was staying the night with Mike. Mike and El were both excited to have a night to themselves in the basement of Mike’s childhood house again. No matter how old they got or how much their relationship progressed, going back to where it all began would always be special to them.

Mike pulled into the driveway to see that Dustin was already parked outside his house waiting for them to arrive. Dustin jumped out of his car and ran to meet his friends, getting to Mike’s car before the three of them had stepped out.

“I am so happy to see you guys!” Dustin exclaimed, throwing his arms around Will, as Will was the first one to get out of the car.

“I’m happy to see you, too,” Will said.

Dustin hugged each Mike and El next.

“You know you could’ve gone inside, right?” Mike said as they walked toward the front door. “You didn’t have to sit out here in your car.”

“I haven’t been waiting long,” Dustin shrugged.

As soon as they stepped through the front door, Karen Wheeler zipped around the corner, her face lighting up at the first sight of her son in over a month.

“Michael, I’m so happy you’re home,” she beamed, wrapping Mike into a tight hug as Dustin and Will shared a smirk behind his back.

“Hi, Mom,” Mike greeted.

“Holly, come downstairs! Your brother is home!” Karen called up the stairs over her shoulder.

“So? I’ll see him later!” came Holly’s voice.

“El is with me!” Mike hollered up.

They heard a door open and the sound of feet padding down the hallway. Suddenly, ten-year-old Holly appeared at the top of the stairs, a look of excitement on her face when she spotted her brother’s girlfriend.

“El!” Holly exclaimed.

“Holly!” El grinned as Holly bounded down the stairs and jumped into El’s arms.

El hugged and lifted Holly up, spinning her around once as Holly laughed.

“Holly, you’re getting too big for that,” Karen said when El set Holly down. Then Karen pulled El in for a hug as well. “How are you, sweetheart?”

“I’m good,” El replied against Karen’s shoulder.

“It’s so nice to see you again,” Karen said.

“It’s great to see you, too, Mrs. Wheeler,” El smiled when Karen pulled back from the embrace.

“Honey, we’ve gone over this. Just call me Karen,” Karen said.

El smiled politely but said no more. Calling her by her first name felt unnatural.

“Has Michael been treating you well?” Karen asked.

“He has,” El beamed. “He has been wonderful.”

“Good to hear,” Karen said.

“So, do I get a hug, too?” Mike asked Holly who was standing next to Karen.

“Ew, no,” Holly said, curling her top lip.

“You and El aren’t even married yet, and your family already likes her more than you,” Dustin muttered to Mike, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

“I guess so,” Mike shrugged.

“Aww, it’s okay, baby. I still like you,” El teased, wrapping her arms around Mike’s waist and looking up at him.

Mike leaned in to give her a peck on the lips.

“Ew. You two are gross,” Holly said in disgust.

“This is what I put up with every day,” Will chuckled.

“Are you all staying for dinner tonight?” Karen asked.

“Yeah, I’m going to take Will home later tonight, so we were planning on having dinner here if that’s okay with you,” Dustin replied.

“And El is going to stay here tonight, and I’m going to stay over with her tomorrow night,” Mike added.

“Sure, honey. El can sleep in Nancy’s old room,” Karen said.

“Um, we were actually planning on both sleeping in the basement,” Mike said.

“Michael…” Karen gave him a pointed look.

“Mom, come on. We’re eighteen,” Mike said.

“Fine,” Karen sighed. “But I don’t like it.”

“Don’t like what?” asked Ted as he entered the foyer from the living room.

“Our baby boy is all grown up now,” Karen pouted.

“Mom,” Mike groaned as his friends chuckled.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Karen smiled. “I’ll let you know when dinner is ready.”

Mike, El, Will, and Dustin headed down to the basement, their old hangout where they had not been in over a month.

“So, what’s new with you guys?” Dustin asked, kicking back in the recliner.

They talked about Mike’s conversation with Lucas about his breakup with Max. El explained that she still had not heard from Max and was worried about her. Mike and El told Dustin about their classes and the friends they have made, and then Dustin filled them in on his life at school as well.

“Things are mostly going well, except Suzie still insists on making chem labs hell for me,” Dustin said.

“You two have talked it out, and she’s dating someone else. If she’s still treating you like shit at this point, she’s just being immature,” Mike said.

“Thank you,” Dustin said. “That’s what I said.”

“I know she’s seeing someone else now, but do you think maybe she isn’t totally over what happened with you guys? It seems like that’s the only reason she would still be so angry four years later,” Will suggested.

“She says that’s not it, so I don’t know,” Dustin replied. “But I have to make it through the rest of this semester, and then hopefully I’ll never have to deal with her again.”

“Unless she shows up in another one of your classes,” Mike pointed out.

“Damn it, Michael. Why would you bring that thought into the universe?” Dustin exclaimed, and Mike laughed.

“I’m joking. You’ll be fine,” Mike said.

“Eventually,” Dustin sighed. “I’m trying not to let it bring down my first semester of college. I’ve met some people that are pretty cool and hung out with them a few times. My roommate is a pretty chill guy. No girls yet, though.”

“Do you even want a relationship right now?” Will asked.

“Maybe,” Dustin shrugged. “I don’t see the harm in looking. What about you, Will? Any ladies on your horizon?”

“Nah,” Will shook his head and looked at the floor, hoping his cheeks weren’t blushing. “I’m not really looking either.”

Mike and El shared a sideways glance at Will’s reaction, thinking it cemented their theory that he had met someone and was keeping it a secret.

“You need to put yourself out there, man. You went out with one girl in high school, and that didn’t even last long enough for me to remember her name,” Dustin said, not picking up on what Mike and El had.

“Jessica,” Will offered. “And she just wasn’t right for me.”

“What wasn’t right about her? What are you looking for?” Dustin asked.

Will opened his mouth but was at a loss for words. He looked over at Mike for some help.

“He’ll know when he finds it,” Mike said quickly.

“Right,” Will nodded.

Just then, Karen called from the top of the stairs that dinner was ready, and Will breathed out a sigh of relief. The four of them joined Karen, Ted, and Holly for dinner upstairs, and they took turns catching Karen up on their lives. Karen was impressed by the classes Dustin was taking, and she seemed interested in Will’s art classes. Holly chimed in that she liked art, too, and she and Will started talking about the different types of art other than drawing.

When dinner was over, Mike and Dustin started to move the television from Mike’s bedroom with the intent to relocate it to the basement. El and Will watched them struggle with the cords, and before it was unhooked, El thought of an idea.

“Hey babe, wouldn’t it be easier to move the Atari upstairs rather than moving the tv downstairs?” she asked.

Mike and Dustin looked at each other as if it were the most obvious solution.

“Your girlfriend’s a genius,” Dustin said, smacking Mike’s arm and heading out of Mike’s room.

“Good call, baby,” Mike smiled and kissed El’s temple as he followed Dustin.

Since Mike had taken his Nintendo and the basement television with him to college, the only gaming system left was his Atari, so he and Dustin collected it and a few games from the basement and brought them upstairs to Mike’s room.

The four of them spent the next couple hours hanging out and playing each other on Mike’s Atari until Will and Dustin agreed that they should each head home for the night.

“What time are you coming home in the morning? I think Jonathan is coming over around noon,” Will said.

“Before noon, then,” El smiled. “Probably ten or eleven.”

“Do you want to hang out while they’re having their family meeting?” Mike asked Dustin.

“Sure,” Dustin nodded.

Mike and El said goodbye to Dustin and Will, and then they told Mike’s family good night before retreating to the basement for the night. They changed into comfier clothes, and then Mike pulled the cushions off the couch and pulled it out into the mattress while El found a set of clean sheets on top of the dryer. 

When the bed was made, Mike pulled El onto the mattress of the pullout and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

“This is nice,” El hummed as she laid in his arms.

“Mhm,” Mike agreed.

“I wish the fort wasn’t such a tight fit though,” El said, glancing over at the restructured blanket fort which stood in the same spot that the very first fort Mike had built for her once stood.

“Yeah, we’d need a pretty big fort to fit us comfortably now,” Mike said. Then, an idea struck him. “Actually…”

Mike stood from the pullout couch and walked over to the other side of the basement where extra pillows and blankets were stashed for wintertime and sleepovers.

“What are you doing?” El asked as Mike brought over armfuls of pillows and blankets.

“Building you a new fort,” Mike replied as he dropped the stuff on the floor next to the pullout.

El sat up and watched as Mike looked around. He found some old highbacked dining chairs underneath the stairs that his parents had moved to the basement for storage when they purchased a new dining room table and chairs. Mike brought four of them over and placed one at each corner of the pullout mattress. Then, he started draping the blankets to create a fort constructed overtop of the pullout.

“There. Perfect,” he said when he was finished, standing back to admire his work.

“You’re perfect,” El said, looking lovingly up at him.

She took his hand and pulled him into the fort with her, and both of them laid down on the mattress that was shielded by the blankets.

Mike leaned in to kiss her, draping his arm over her waist to hold her body close to his. His hand slid down her back and underneath the waistband of her sweatpants to squeeze her ass. El tightened her fist in his hair and moaned into his mouth as Mike started grinding his hips against hers. Mike’s hand left her ass and started pulling up her t-shirt, and soon it was pulled over her head, Mike’s eyes locking instantly with her tits.

El pulled Mike’s shirt off and then slid his pants and boxers down, freeing his hardened cock. Mike rolled her onto her back, hovering over her while he pulled her pants and underwear down, exposing her wet pussy. She spread her legs, placing them on either side of where Mike was positioned on his knees in front of her. He gripped her thighs to open her pussy even more, and the sight of her glistening pussy lips made his mouth water. 

Mike reached down and slid his fingers up and down along her pussy, spreading her arousal along her soft skin. He groaned when his cock throbbed, and then his mouth was on her, desperate to taste her.

“Mike!” El gasped, and her hands shot down to where Mike’s face was pressed between her legs, and she gripped his hair tightly.

His tongue was alternating between her sensitive clit and her sweet opening, doing anything he could to keep her crying his name like that. He had his face buried in her pussy as far as he could, but Mike wanted better access. He suddenly pulled back, and El whimpered at the loss.

“Here, sit up,” Mike said, pulling El’s arms to sit her up on the mattress.

Mike laid on his back next to her and began to guide her by the hips onto his own body. El started to moving her hips down toward his cock, but Mike stopped her.

“No, this way,” he said from behind her, pulling her hips up his stomach and toward his chest. “I want you to sit on my face.”

Something about Mike telling her exactly what he wanted her to do always turned El on even more, and she felt her pussy become even wetter as she did what Mike said and scooted back to position herself over his face.

“Just like that. That’s perfect,” Mike breathed, and El could feel his breath reach her pussy lips from where she was still sitting up on her knees above his face.

Mike placed his hands on each of her ass cheeks and pulled them apart, opening her pussy even farther, too. He slid a finger into her aching pussy, and El gasped at the sensation. Mike added a second finger and began pumping them in and out of her pussy.

He pulled his fingers out and licked them clean before grasping her hips and pulling her down closer to his face. His tongue immediately met her dripping center, and El cried out as Mike licked every inch of her.

El closed her eyes, lost in the pleasure. She felt Mike’s hand on her lower back, and it felt like he was nudging her forward. El bent forward over Mike’s stomach, giving him another angle and better access to swirl his tongue around her clit. Her face was so close to Mike’s hard cock, which she especially noticed when he shifted his hips up and pressed his tip against her lips.

“Suck my cock, El,” Mike said against her pussy. “Suck my cock while I eat your pussy.”

El wrapped her hand around his penis and moved her hand up and down, squeezing gently around the head. She stuck out her tongue to tease the tip, and Mike moaned into her pussy. El took his tip into her mouth and let her saliva run down his shaft, using her hand to spread it up and down his length. She started to bob her head on his cock, taking him all the way to the back of her throat.

“Oh, fuck yes, baby,” Mike groaned and squeezed her hips.

Mike held her pussy firmly against his face, licking her opening and moving down to suck on her clit. He started thrusting his hips lightly to meet El’s rhythm while she bobbed on his cock, her lips latched tightly around his throbbing shaft. Mike inserted two fingers back into El’s pussy while he continued to lick and suckle on her clit. He heard El’s muffled moans and felt the vibrations in her throat around his cock, and Mike started curling his fingers inside of her even deeper, hitting that spot that he knew drove her wild.

“Mike,” El took him out of her mouth long enough to whine his name.

He knew she was coming undone, and he fingerfucked her even faster while his tongue maintained its pace on her clit.

Mike thrusted his hips up again and El took his cock back into her mouth. She felt herself start to lose control, and she closed her eyes and let Mike’s cock stifle the scream that tried to rip from her throat as she came. Her pussy began to flutter around his fingers, and her lips clamped down even firmer around his cock, sucking hard.

The suction was too much for Mike, and he exploded in her mouth, spurting all of his cum down her throat. When he finished, Mike lapped up the rest of El’s pussy juices and then gingerly kissed her pussy lips before resting his head back on the bed.

El rolled off him, her legs trembling from her intense orgasm, and she turned so she could lay next to him.

“That was amazing,” she sighed, resting her head on his chest.

“It was, but… we’re not done yet,” Mike panted, and El looked up to see the hunger still present in his eyes. “I couldn’t hold it back anymore… you were sucking me off way too good… but I still want to fuck you.”

Hearing him talk that way and tell her what he wanted to do to her made El wet all over again. She propped herself up and leaned in to kiss him, tasting her pussy on his lips. Mike wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him as he slid his tongue into her mouth. His hands traced up and down her back, caressing her soft skin. El felt goosebumps form under his touch, and her nipples hardened against Mike’s chest.

Mike rolled El onto her back and latched his lips onto one of her hardened nipples, flicking it with his tongue while he squeezed her other breast. He gently nibbled on her, holding her nipple between his teeth while he licked over it rapidly.

“Ooh, that feels so good,” El whimpered.

Mike moved his lips to her other breast, sucking on her nipple while he squeezed the soft flesh. He slid one hand down between their bodies and began to rub his fingers up and down her wet slit, spreading her arousal all over her pussy.

“Mmm, you’re still so wet,” he said just above a whisper.

“I’m ready for you to fuck me,” El said.

She raised her hips to grind them against his soft cock for emphasis. Mike slid his fingers into her tight pussy, and El arched her back, extra sensitive after her orgasm. He met her lips once again and kissed her deeply while fucking three fingers in and out of her pussy. El could feel his cock begin to harden again against her leg.

El reached her hand down to grasp Mike’s cock and began pumping it while it continued to harden. Feeling her soft fingers around his cock was helping him get hard, and Mike fingerfucked her faster as he became more turned on. He pressed his thumb against her clit and began rubbing it to match the speed of his fingers that were sliding in and out of her wet hole.

“M-Mike,” El let out in a high-pitched squeal. 

She arched further into him and closed her eyes tight as she started to cum again. Mike kept rubbing her clit until her pussy stopped fluttering around his fingers. Then, he pulled his fingers out of her; they were soaked with her pussy juices. He grabbed his hard cock and started rubbing it up and down El’s slit.

“Please, Mike, I want to feel you inside me,” El panted.

She was out of breath from her orgasm, but she needed to feel him fill her up. Mike leaned in to peck her on the lips before he sheathed his cock deep inside her pussy. He picked up speed right away, ramming himself into her as far as he could go while she writhed in pleasure beneath him.

Mike grabbed her hips and shifted to the edge of the mattress, not wanting to pull out of her. He stood from the pullout couch and pulled her hips to angle upward, but then he straightened himself too far up and knocked into the blankets that formed the fort they were concealed in.

“Shit,” he muttered as a couple of the blankets started to fall around his shoulders.

He reached up to push the blankets off himself, when suddenly they seemed to float off of him on their own. Mike looked around and saw that the whole structure of the blanket fort was raised an additional foot into the air, giving him enough space to stand up.

“Keep going,” El said.

Mike looked down at her and saw the smallest hint of blood starting to ooze from her nostril, and he knew she was keeping the blankets out of the way. He gave her an appreciative smile before looping his arms around her thighs and thrusting deep into her pussy again.

He pushed her legs up, nearly touching her knees to her shoulders as he fucked her into the mattress below him.

“Fuck… I love fucking you like this… You’re practically bent in half and I can get so. fucking. deep,” Mike grunted.

El forced her eyes to remain open so she could watch him as he held her in place and fucked his hard cock in and out of her. She was starting to feel lightheaded from focusing on her powers, but she didn’t want the sensation of Mike inside her to end. 

Mike leaned forward against her legs, her ankles over his shoulders. His added body weight folding her even more in half made it harder for El to breathe, but the angle let him get so deep he was bottoming out, his balls slapping against her bare ass with each thrust.

“Ugh, I’m going to cum,” Mike groaned. “Do you want me to fill you up with my cum, El?”

“Yes,” El whimpered. She was close to the edge, too.

“Fuck… oh, fuck… El… Ah,” Mike hissed, jackhammering into her as he got closer and closer.

He slammed into her hard, and El felt the warmth of his cum spurting inside of her. Mike continued thrusting into her as he came, and the friction of his pelvis against her clit finally sent El over the edge. She cried out his name and gripped his shoulder blades as her pussy tightened around his cock.

As El came, she let go of her powers, and the blankets crashed down on top of them from where she had suspended them in the air. Mike was panting as he collapsed on top of El. He kissed her temple and pushed the hair away from her face to look into her eyes.

“You’re amazing,” he sighed.

El smiled tiredly at him and pulled his lips to hers to kiss him gently.

Mike wrestled with the blankets until he was able to find the end and tossed them back to uncover his and El’s heads. He reached for a tissue from the end table and gingerly dabbed away the blood that had dripped from her nostril before kissing the tip of her nose.

“I love you,” he murmured. “And, sorry for destroying the fort.”

El laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss.

“I love you, too,” she said. “And it’s okay.”

“Do you want me to rebuild it?” Mike asked.

“No, it’s okay,” El shook her head. “Can we just sleep in the other one?”

“Of course,” Mike smiled.

He stood from the mattress of the pullout couch and gathered the couch cushions to form a bed for them in the smaller fort. Then he tossed some of the pillows and blankets from the pullout into the smaller fort before looking down at El again. She stared up at him, and he knew she was exhausted partially from the sex and partially from using her powers which she so rarely used anymore. Mike bent down to slide one arm under her knees and the other arm around her shoulders, and he carried her over to their old fort.

“Thanks, baby,” El said quietly after Mike laid her down on the bed he had made for them.

“You’re welcome,” Mike whispered and kissed her forehead.

El snuggled into his side and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Mike rubbed his hand up and down the soft skin of her back, listening to the sound of her breath becoming steadier and slower.

“Night, Mike. I love you,” El said softly.

“Good night, El. I love you, too,” Mike whispered before they both fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next day, Mike dropped El off at home and went to meet up with Dustin. El agreed to call them at Dustin’s house when Joyce was finished with them. She went inside and saw Will sitting on the couch watching tv. At the sound of the front door opening, Joyce hurried around the corner, and her face lit up when she saw El standing there.

“Hi, honey, I’m so glad you’re home,” Joyce beamed, walking toward El with outstretched arms.

“Hi, Mom,” El smiled against Joyce’s shoulder as the woman embraced her.

“It’s so good to see you. Is everything still going okay? Classes? Mike? Friends?” Joyce asked, and El couldn’t help but smile.

“Everything is fantastic,” El replied.

Joyce and El had talked probably once a week since college had started, so Joyce was fairly current on the happenings in El’s college life.

“Good. I was hoping so,” Joyce smiled. “You deserve to be happy. You both do.” Joyce looked over at Will and smiled as well.

“So, what’s the big secret you wanted to tell us?” Will asked.

“Your brother will be here soon, and then we’ll talk,” Joyce said.

“Is Nancy coming, too?” El asked.

“Not for this,” Joyce replied. “I asked Jonathan to come alone. Nancy is coming over for dinner, though. Mike can come for dinner, too.”

“Do you mind if Mike stays the night after dinner?” El asked, and Joyce pursed her lips, not thrilled about the idea.

“I suppose,” she relented. “But only because you’re eighteen, and I know if I said no you would just go stay at his house again.”

“See how well she knows you?” Will smirked.

Soon, Jonathan arrived, and he, Will, and El were seated on the couch in the living room, waiting for their mom to speak. Joyce was standing in front of them, trying to figure out the best way to tell them the news.

“Okay, so I’m just going to come out and say it,” Joyce began. “I’ve started seeing someone.”

The three of them were silent as they stared back at their mom, their mouths slightly agape.

“What, like, a man?” Jonathan asked.

“Yes,” Joyce nodded.

“When?” Jonathan asked.

“A little over a month ago,” Joyce replied. “It was after the kids moved to college.”

“I’ve been here dozens of times since then. I talk to you all the time. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Jonathan asked.

“I don’t know, honey, I just wanted to make sure it was something I really wanted before bringing it up to you kids,” Joyce explained. “He has known about the three of you all along, but he also knew I was waiting until I could tell all three of you together.”

Joyce looked to Will and El and watched as they processed the information. Neither of them looked angry, or even upset at all, which Joyce took as a good sign.

“So, is this something you really want, then?” Jonathan asked when no one else spoke.

“It is,” Joyce nodded. “His name is Tim, and he is wonderful. He’s an electrician, and I actually met him at Benny’s one evening after work. We were both sitting up at the bar alone, and we started talking.”

Joyce looked to Will and El again.

“Will? El? What do you two think?” she asked.

“Umm… I guess it’s not a huge surprise,” Will said. “It’s been five years since Bob, and it’s been four years since…”

He stopped and looked over at El. Even though Joyce and Hopper had never gotten into a relationship officially, the kids knew that Joyce and Hopper had been in love. 

“I think it’s great,” El finally said.

“You do?” Joyce asked.

“Of course. You deserve to be happy,” El said, and then she looked at Will before looking back at Joyce. “Everyone deserves to be with someone who makes them happy.”

“So, you’re all okay with it? Because you three are my top priority, and that isn’t going to change,” Joyce assured them.

“Mom, we’re fine,” Jonathan said. “Besides, we’re all adults now. You’ve done your part with us. Now you need to focus on you.”

“When can we meet him?” El asked.

“I was thinking of inviting him over for dinner tonight, if that’s okay with you three,” Joyce said, and the three of them nodded in agreeance. “Great. I’ll go call him.”

Once Joyce was out of the room, Will turned to face El again.

“Are you sure you’re okay with her dating someone?” Will asked.

“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?” El asked.

“Well, I know things kind of seemed unfinished after Hopper,” Will said gently.

“I knew eventually she would have to move on,” El said. “It’s not like waiting for him to come back from the dead would do her any good.”

“I’m sorry, El. I know how much you miss him,” Will said.

“I do,” El smiled sadly. “But who knows. Maybe this Tim guy will help make the family feel whole.”

That evening, Mike and Nancy joined them at the Byers’ house, and they were filled in immediately on the secret that Joyce had shared earlier. After hearing the news, Mike and Nancy barely had any time to process it or ask Jonathan, Will, and El how they felt about it because there was soon a knock on the door. Tim had arrived.

Joyce hurried to the door and opened it to reveal a tall man with dark hair peppered with gray. He filled the doorway and wore a happy smile that lit up his eyes the moment he saw Joyce.

“Come on in,” Joyce beamed, taking Tim by the hand and pulling him into the room. “Tim, this is my son Jonathan and his wife Nancy. This is my son Will, and this is my daughter El and her boyfriend Mike.”

“It’s nice to finally meet all of you,” Tim grinned.

He seemed more conventionally polite than Hopper but not as goofy as Bob.

“Dinner is almost ready, and I can’t wait for you to get to know everyone better,” Joyce said.

“Let me help you,” Tim offered, following her into the kitchen.

Shortly later, the seven of them were seated around the Byers’ dining table. The awkwardness of not knowing what to say to the new man dating their mom quickly wore off once Tim commented on a framed photograph that was hanging on the wall behind the dining table. Jonathan explained that he took the picture and that he was actually gifted in photography and enjoyed it as a hobby. It turned out that Tim’s daughter was interested in photography as well.

“You have a daughter?” Jonathan asked.

“I do,” Tim nodded. “She’s thirteen, and she is with my parents right now. I figured meeting one new person was enough for everyone tonight.”

“She’s a very sweet girl,” Joyce said. “I met her last weekend.”

“What’s her name?” El asked.

“Natalie,” Tim replied. “Her mom passed away when she was seven, and it’s just been me and Natalie ever since.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Jonathan said solemnly. “I’d love to show her some of my favorite shots some time.”

“She would like that,” Tim said. “I love how happy she gets when she takes pictures, but I don’t know anything about it, so I would really appreciate you helping her.”

“Sure. Nancy and I actually live here in Hawkins, so we’re around quite a bit,” Jonathan said.

“I’ll bring her by some time so you can meet her,” Tim offered. Then he turned to Will. “I hear you are artistic, too. You like to draw?”

“I always have,” Will replied. “It would be a dream of mine to illustrate comic books.”

“That’s a big dream,” Tim said, and Will’s face fell slightly as he expected Tim to take the same direction his dad did. “But I’m sure your mom didn’t raise you to let that scare you.”

Will’s smile brightened when Tim did not cast doubt on his dream.

“She did not,” Will smiled.

“I was excited to meet all of you, but Natalie is the most excited to meet you,” Tim said, looking at El. “She has always wanted a sister. She hates that she’s an only child.”

El smiled warmly but said nothing. She looked down at her plate, and Mike placed a hand on her knee and squeezed.

As dinner continued, Tim got to know the kids more. They talked about how long Jonathan and Nancy had been together; what Jonathan and Nancy each did for a living; what Will, Mike, and El’s plans were for after college. They each liked that Tim took an interest in each of their lives, even Mike and Nancy who he did not have to care about including.

“Well, it was wonderful meeting you all,” Tim said that evening as he walked toward the front door.

He and Joyce had agreed that the first meeting with everyone would be only dinner, a couple hours at the most. 

“It was great meeting you, too. I look forward to meeting Natalie,” Jonathan said.

“You bet. I’ll see you kids next time you’re in town,” Tim said, waving at Will and El.

They bid Tim good night, and once the door closed behind him, Joyce turned to look at the five of them looking back at her.

“Well? What do you think?” she asked.

“I like him,” Jonathan said immediately, and Nancy nodded.

“He was nice,” Will said. “He seemed really supportive, which I liked.”

“He was good,” El added simply.

“I’m so happy you liked him,” Joyce sighed.

“Mom, as long as you’re happy, that’s what really matters,” Jonathan said.

Joyce smiled and walked forward with outstretched arms, encompassing the kids in a bear hug.

“I don’t know how I ended up with such great kids,” she said. “I love you all so much.”

“Love you too, Mom,” they each replied.

Soon after, Jonathan and Nancy left for the night, and Will retreated to his room. Mike and El went to El’s room and changed into pajamas. El laid down against Mike’s chest and sighed. Mike looked down at her, concerned that she looked sad.

“What’s the matter?” he asked gently. “Did you not actually like him?”

“It’s not that,” El said. “He was nice. He seems like a good guy, and I’m sure he’ll make her happy.”

“But…?” Mike asked.

“But seeing her with someone else makes me miss Hopper even more,” El said quietly.

Mike squeezed her against him and kissed her forehead.

“I even said earlier that she couldn’t wait around for him to come back from the dead. She deserves to be happy. I just wish he were still here,” El said.

“I know you do. So do I,” Mike said.

“Really?” El asked, looking up at him.

“Of course,” Mike replied. “You know he’d still be enforcing that ‘three inches’ rule even though we’re eighteen now.”

“Definitely,” El laughed and snuggled closer to him.

“You know, one of the things I regret most is being so shitty to him during those six months after the Snow Ball,” Mike said. “He did a lot for you, and I was a shitty teenager to him most of the time.”

“He knew how much you cared about me though,” El said. “That’s the only reason he would’ve put up with it.”

“True,” Mike chuckled. Then he held her close again and kissed her temple. “He would be so proud of you.”

El felt tears start to well up in her eyes, so she held them shut. She heard Mike reach over and turn off the lamp on her nightstand.

“Good night, baby. I love you,” Mike whispered.

“I love you, too,” El whispered in return.

Mike felt the tears seep through El’s closed eyes and soak through his shirt, and he silently rubbed her back until they both fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for being patient with me. I know it’s been a couple weeks. I hope this chapter is worth it! Please remember to leave me your thoughts. I love reading them! Enjoy!

In the following several weeks since their trip to Hawkins, Will had not found a way to tell anyone else other than Adam the truth about his sexuality. Will thought it would be a good idea to talk to Mike and El about it first since he was able to see them the most often. He had not decided if he should talk to Lucas, Dustin, his mom, or Jonathan next. The thought had also crossed his mind to wait until Thanksgiving to tell his mom and Jonathan together. He just didn’t know.

How would everyone react? Will knew his mom had always been supportive of everything he had done throughout his life, and she had always been protective of him, especially when his dad and bullies would tease him and call him those slurs that he came to understand with time. Still, it would have to come as a shock to her. Then again, his mom had delivered her own shocking news to him, El, and Jonathan when she called them all to the house to announce her new relationship with Tim.

Tim could be another barrier. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but Will really didn’t know him very well. Would Tim be accepting of Will after finding out he is gay? Will didn’t necessarily need Tim’s approval, but he knew that his mom would choose her kids over any man, and Will was worried that Tim could react poorly to finding out Will was gay, causing his mom to break things off with Tim and go back to being alone. His mom seemed so happy, and Will didn’t want that to end on his account.

Will knew he was getting too far ahead of himself with that train of thought. The first thing would be to tell Mike and El. Should he tell them together? Should he talk to Mike alone first? What about Lucas and Dustin? Would his friends feel weird being around him after finding out he was gay? El probably wouldn’t feel any different toward him, but would the guys? 

The thoughts about telling his friends and family constantly played on repeat in Will’s mind. He was honest with Adam about the anxiety he was experiencing, and Adam continually encouraged Will to tell people when he felt ready. Adam assured Will to take his time and not feel pressured to open up to anyone about it until he felt sure that it was the right time.

“Mike has been your best friend for thirteen years, and El is your sister,” Adam had said one day when Will was talking about his fear of telling them. “They love you, and even if it shocks them, if they really love you, it won’t change anything. Your mom sounds incredible, and I’m sure she will love you no matter what.”

Will knew that logically Adam was right, but it still didn’t calm his mind. So, Adam did his best to keep Will’s mind at ease in other ways. They had been spending time together every day for a couple hours after class and most of the days on the weekends.

Both of them had been out of class for over an hour, and they were sitting on Will’s bed with their backs leaned against the wall and their homework spread over their laps. Will was not expecting Mike back to the room for a few hours yet, so he felt comfortable enough having Adam over.

“Do you want to go see a movie this weekend?” Adam asked suddenly, turning to face Will.

“Together? Like… on a date?” Will asked.

“Yes, together,” Adam chuckled. “Is that a problem?”

“Um, no, it’s not a problem,” Will said hesitantly, and Adam frowned at the conflicted look on Will’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.

“I just don’t know about, you know, going out in public yet,” Will replied slowly.

“We get food together all the time, and we go to the arcade and the comic book store. Those places are all in public,” Adam pointed out.

“Well, yeah, but we eat in dining halls, and the arcade and comic book store are places you would go with a friend,” Will explained.

“You don’t go to the movies with your friends?” Adam asked.

“I do, but… I don’t know, it’s just different,” Will sighed. “It’s dark, and it would just be the two of us.”

“Exactly,” Adam grinned. “But look, it was just an idea. If you don’t want to-”

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Will said quickly. “But what if… what if people stare or – I don’t know – say things? I haven’t even told my friends yet, and this would be out in public in front of strangers.”

Adam offered a sad but understanding smile and tried to hide the hurt he felt from Will’s explanation.

“Trust me, I understand,” Adam said. “People can be really shitty, and I’m not going to lie to you and say they’ll never make a comment or something. But we can’t hide in dining halls and pretend to be friends forever.”

“I know,” Will sighed. “I think it would be easier if this wasn’t still such a secret… At least if my friends and family knew, I would feel more comfortable being open about it, you know?”

“I do,” Adam nodded. “Do you think you’re ready to tell them yet?”

“I don’t know,” Will groaned. “I wish I could skip having to tell them and go right to the part where they all know and accept it.”

“Things are never that easy,” Adam chuckled. “Like I’ve said all along, tell them when you’re ready. If they’re really your friends, it won’t change how they feel about you.”

“Thanks,” Will sighed and smiled appreciatively.

“Any time,” Adam grinned. “But now, how about we take a little break from studying.”

He closed his textbook and tossed it along with his notebook toward the foot of the bed. Then, he reached over and closed Will’s book and did the same. Before Will had time to react, Adam’s lips were on his. Will was briefly shocked by the abruptness but quickly gave in and returned the kiss as Adam’s hand moved to the back of Will’s neck and intertwined his fingers in Will’s hair. Will welcomed this type of break from studying; especially since he knew Mike would not be back for a while and they had plenty of time.

Mike and El were in the lounge down the hall from El’s room. El had a paper that she really needed to write, and they were both aware enough to know that she had a better chance of actually doing her assignment if they were in the lounge instead of her room. Next to her, Mike had his biology textbook open and was working on the packet that was assigned that day.

They were the only two in the lounge. Suddenly, Bethany and Cam came in. Bethany was pulling him by the hand, and she had the brightest smile on her face.

“There you are!” she exclaimed when she saw El.

“Hi Bethany,” El greeted, smiling as she looked up from her work.

“I was just knocking on your door and you didn’t answer, so I hoped I would run into you,” Bethany said through her beaming smile.

“Here I am. What’s up?” El asked.

Bethany walked closer to El and Mike’s table, not letting go of Cam’s hand as he walked behind her. When Bethany got close enough, El thought she looked so happy she would literally burst.

“We’re engaged!” Bethany squealed.

She held out her left hand to show a gold ring with three diamonds, the one in the middle about twice the size as the two on either side of it.

“Oh my god, congratulations!” El exclaimed. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Bethany beamed. “It happened last night. Yesterday was our five-year anniversary. He took me out on a nice date and proposed to me after dinner in front of the fountain downtown.”

“Aw, that sounds so romantic,” El smiled. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Bethany smiled again. “I was so surprised. It’s been five years, so I had no idea when it was going to happen.”

“I wanted to make sure that I could make it just right,” Cam said. “But after being together so long, I just couldn’t wait anymore.”

“It was perfect,” Bethany grinned up at him and turned to kiss him.

El looked over at Mike who had looked down at the floor when Cam made the comment about how long he and Bethany had been together. El nudged his leg under the table, and Mike looked up and gave her a reassuring smile.

“I just couldn’t wait to tell you,” Bethany said, turning back to El. “I called my best friend immediately last night when I got back to my room.”

“And Jake is already planning his best man speech. I haven’t even asked him to be the best man; he just assumes,” Cam chuckled.

“I’m so excited. Wedding planning is going to be so much fun,” Bethany squealed.

“Do you guys have a date in mind already?” Mike asked, finally breaking his silence.

“We talked about waiting a couple years because we’re so young, but we’ve been together for so long and we know we’re in love, so why keep waiting?” Bethany replied. “So I really don’t want the engagement to last longer than a year.”

“Probably late summer of next year,” Cam added. “But we don’t have a specific date picked yet.”

“Well, congratulations,” Mike said.

“Thanks,” Cam smiled.

“Let’s go, babe. I need to call my mom about visiting this weekend,” Bethany said.

“You haven’t told you mom yet?” El asked.

“I want to tell her in person,” Bethany explained. “And I knew if I called last night, she would be able to hear in my voice that something big happened. So I hope I can sound normal enough now to make her think that I just want to come home for a visit.”

“Good luck,” El grinned.

She watched as Bethany and Cam left the lounge, and then El turned back to face Mike who was looking down again with a conflicted expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” El asked gently, reaching out to place her hand on Mike’s leg.

“Nothing,” Mike shook his head.

“Mike,” El said, raising her eyebrows.

Mike let out a deep sigh and looked up to meet her eyes.

“You know how much I love you, right?” he asked, and El furrowed her brow immediately.

“Yes, of course I do. Why?” El replied.

El watched as Mike glanced down at the promise ring he had slipped on her right hand back in February and then over to her left hand which was bare, and she realized what was on his mind.

“It’s just that we’ve been together even longer than them, and I don’t want you to think that I’m never – you know – going to ask or anything,” Mike said. “Because I will. I mean, I definitely want to, it’s just…”

The truth was that Mike did not have enough money saved to buy El the type of ring he thought she deserved. He had some money put away that his parents had given him for helping out around the house and watching Holly, and he had money saved from Christmas and his birthday, but it was nowhere near enough. El deserved the entire world, and Mike didn’t want to propose to her with anything less.

“Mike, I know you’ll ask me when the time is right,” El said gently, her lips unable to resist curling into a smile at the mere thought of Mike asking her to marry him.

“Good,” Mike smiled. “As long as you know that I’m not just putting it off. I know I want to be with you forever.”

“You can take as long as you need. I know I want to be with you forever, too. And I hope you know that whenever you do ask, I’m going to say yes,” El said, sliding off her chair and into his lap so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

“Well I would hope so,” Mike chuckled. “We’ve been together for, like, ten years.”

“Six years,” El corrected him.

“It feels like longer,” Mike said.

“It feels like forever,” El smiled. “I can’t believe there was a time in my life when I didn’t know you.”

“God, that seems like ages ago,” Mike said.

They looked into each other’s eyes, both knowing how different their lives were back then and how much everything changed on that stormy night in 1983. It was the first night in El’s life that she felt the warmth of friendship, compassion, and love, and she had felt it every day since.

“I love you,” El murmured before leaning in to kiss him softly.

“I love you, too,” Mike said when El had pulled back.

El slid off his lap and back onto her own chair. Then she looked down at her schoolwork and sighed.

“Want to take a break and go see what Will is doing? Maybe the three of us can get dinner or something,” El suggested.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Mike agreed.

El turned away to start packing her books into her backpack, and Mike couldn’t help but watch her, amazed at how flawless she looked even doing the simplest things.

“What?” El asked when she saw Mike dreamily staring at her.

“You’re just so beautiful,” Mike replied, and El blushed. “And it’s cute that you still blush after all these years.”

“You’re one to talk,” El laughed. “You should see your face any time I tell you how handsome you are… or cute… or hot.”

“Come on, stop it,” Mike started to blush but could not help but smile bashfully as he turned away.

“See, you’re doing it right now,” El teased.

She wrapped her arms around his neck again and slid back onto his lap.

“I can’t help it,” Mike said.

“Well, I’m going to keep saying it, so you might as well get used to it,” El grinned.

She had always been attracted to Mike. Years ago, she often thought to herself about how beautiful Mike was before she learned that beautiful was typically a word used to describe women and not men. Even still, El thought the word beautiful was the most accurate. She knew her going out with Brad Connor last year awakened a lot of insecurities within Mike because of how different he and Brad were. In fact, making Mike feel like she didn’t love him and that he needed to compare himself to Brad physically was one of the things El regretted the most in her life. Ever since she and Mike had gotten back together, she had made even more of an effort to remind him of how she felt about him.

El leaned forward to kiss him once again before standing up.

“Come on. Let’s go see what Will is up to,” she said.

El took Mike’s hand and led him out of the lounge and out of the building toward his and Will’s room. Mike was silent on the walk to his and Will’s room. His mind was still focused on the idea of proposing to El. He had known for a long time that he would do it someday. Was that day getting closer? How would he afford it? His parents were against the idea of him getting a job while still in school. He would have to figure something out.

Mike pulled himself out of his thoughts when they reached his and Will’s room. He turned the key and pushed the door open, not expecting the site in front of him when he stepped into the room. Mike froze when he saw Will and Adam jump apart from each other, both seated on Will’s bed. Will quickly covered his mouth to try and hide how swollen his lips were from kissing.

“What’s going on?” El asked.

She had run into Mike’s back when he abruptly stopped in the doorway, and El stepped around to Mike’s side and glanced between him and Will whose face had turned beet red.

“Uh… shit. S-sorry, Will, I, uh…” Mike stammered, unable to form a sentence.

“You weren’t supposed to be back this early,” Will said, staring at the floor.

“We were coming to see if you wanted to hang out and get dinner or something,” El explained awkwardly. 

From the looks on Will, Mike, and Adam’s faces, she could tell that something uncomfortable happened, but she wasn’t quite sure what exactly.

“I’m not hungry,” Will mumbled. 

In fact, he was starting to feel nauseous as the truth sunk in that Mike had walked in on him and Adam. He had to be honest now. He couldn’t wait anymore. How would Mike react? Will swallowed hard, knowing he was about to find out.

“Yeah, n-neither am I,” Mike said, still in a daze.

More awkward silence filled the air, and as El looked around at how Will and Adam were sitting on the bed together, the look of shame on Will’s face as he avoided eye contact with anybody, and the redness around Will and Adam’s lips, she deduced what had happened.

“Look, uh, why don’t you guys come in and we can all talk,” Adam suggested.

Adam carefully looked over at Will, and Will nodded reluctantly. It wasn’t like he had a choice. He had to address this now.

El closed the door behind her, and she and Mike walked over and took a seat on Mike’s bed. Will was looking out the window, still avoiding his friends’ eyes.

“Will?” El asked gently, but he did not turn toward her.

El nudged Mike next to her.

“Will, will you talk to us? What’s going on?” Mike asked.

“You weren’t supposed to find out this way,” Will muttered.

He looked down at the floor and took a deep breath before finally looking up and Mike and El who were sitting across from him.

“Find out what? Are you…?” Mike trailed off but looked back and forth between Will and Adam.

“Y-yeah,” Will admitted with a nod. “I am. I’m… I’m gay.”

The words sounded like they were spoken by someone else, but Will knew once they left his lips, the truth was out there. He felt an ounce of relief but then found himself holding his breath while he waited on Mike and El’s reactions.

“A-are you, um, are you sure?” Mike asked, and he felt El’s elbow jab into his side as soon as the question left his mouth.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Will replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“That was stupid of me to ask,” Mike said quickly. “How, uh, how long have you – you know – known?”

“I don’t know,” Will shrugged and looked down at the floor. “I guess it’s been a while.”

“A while, like, a few weeks? Or…?” Mike asked.

“No, it’s been longer than that,” Will admitted, looking back up at Mike.

“You’re doing great,” Adam whispered next to Will, and the corners of Will’s mouth tugged into a small smile despite his nerves.

“I’ve questioned it for a long time,” Will said. “I really started to realize it last year when I was seeing Jessica. She was nice, smart, pretty. I wanted to be attracted to her so badly, but I just wasn’t. I thought maybe I would feel it if I kissed her, so I did… and nothing. Things kind of fizzled out, and I just…”

“So that’s why things with Jessica ended?” Mike asked, and Will nodded.

“I wasn’t ready to admit it yet then, but yeah,” Will replied. “I actually didn’t fully admit it to myself until after I met Adam.”

Mike and El both glanced over and Adam who was sitting next to Will supportively while he told his story.

“Are you guys, like…” Mike began and trailed off again.

“Yeah,” Will nodded.

“So, wait,” Mike raised his eyebrows as the realization struck him. “All those questions you were asking me about El and I…”

“Uh huh,” Will confirmed.

“Will, why didn’t you just tell me then?” Mike asked.

“Why do you think, Mike? I had just recently come to terms with it myself and told Adam. I didn’t know how to tell anyone else, let alone how anyone else would react,” Will replied.

“I’m your best friend,” Mike said, furrowing his brow.

“I know. That’s why it was so scary to think about telling you,” Will said. “I didn’t know if you would treat me different or feel uncomfortable being around me. We’ve known each other forever, and I didn’t want anything to change.”

“Why would anything change? Did you think I would judge you for who you like?” Mike asked. He glanced over at El and gave Will a look to remind him that Will watched him fall in love with a stranger he met in the woods. “I have no room to judge anyone for loving who they love.”

“I know, and trust me, I told myself that so many times,” Will said. “But every time I thought I could tell you, I always came back to what you said to me a few years ago.”

“What are you talking about?” Mike asked.

Will sighed and looked down at the floor and then over at Adam who gave him a subtle nod to encourage him to continue.

“Do you remember the summer before freshman year?” Will asked. “We got in that fight, and you said it wasn’t your fault I don’t like girls… That’s really stuck with me. I guess it cut deeper than I thought it did back then.”

Mike felt Adam and El’s eyes on him as Will repeated those words from all that time ago. It felt like he was punched in the stomach when Mike remembered that fight and the look on Will’s face immediately after he said those words.

“Will, I didn’t mean anything by that. It was a stupid fight, and El had just broken up with me,” Mike explained. “I was just focused on getting her back, and at the time I felt like you didn’t care about what I was going through, so I guess I just kind of lashed out. I didn’t mean that I thought you were gay.”

“That’s how it sounded to me,” Will said. “I thought to myself, ‘oh shit, even my best friend thinks that about me.’ When it was just Troy and those assholes, it was one thing. But hearing you say something like that too really hurt.”

“You’ve kept that in for four years?” Mike asked, and Will nodded. “God, Will, I’m so sorry. I really wish you would’ve said something earlier. Honestly, I forgot all about that fight.”

“I never did. It’s something that rang in my ears every time I considered talking to you about how I felt… or how I thought I felt, I guess,” Will said.

“It was just an offhanded comment to you, but it stuck with Will for years,” Adam said, steadying his voice to conceal how upset he was to hear that part of Will’s story. “I hope you realize the privilege you have to be able to say shit like that and just forget about it.”

“Like I said, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Mike repeated, trying not to sound defensive. “But Will, I really am sorry.”

“I know, and I forgive you,” Will smiled and then turned to look at Adam with a look that said he believed Mike’s apology. 

“I want you to be happy no matter who you’re with,” Mike said. “Adam’s a great guy, and if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

“You mean it?” Will asked.

“Of course,” Mike nodded.

“El? What about you?” Will asked, turning his gaze to his adoptive sister.

“I want you to be happy, too,” El said. “I like Adam.”

The truth was that El never fully understood why boys liking other boys was such a big deal. When she was younger, she didn’t think she had fallen for Mike because he was a boy. She had fallen for him because of how he treated her, protected her, and made her feel safer and more special than anyone else in the world ever had. The soft hair, sparkling eyes, and bright smile were just bonuses. El never would have thought twice about boys being with other boys or girls being with other girls if she had not learned that anything other than boys and girls being together was considered wrong, weird, abnormal. Who cared if somebody was dating a boy or a girl, as long as both people made the other feel the way El knew she and Mike made each other feel?

“Good,” Will let out with a sigh of relief. “You guys have no idea how much it means to me.”

“We love you, and we want you to be happy,” El assured him. “Have you thought about how you’re going to tell Mom?”

“It’s been on my mind nonstop,” Will revealed.

“Your mom is literally the most loving and supportive parent in the world,” Mike said. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about there.”

“It’s still nerve-wracking,” Will said.

“Do you want me to be there with you when you tell her?” El offered.

“I don’t know yet,” Will replied. “I’ve considered that, but I’ve also thought about doing it alone. Also, should I tell Jonathan first and then have both him and you with me, or should I just tell Mom and Jonathan together?”

“You’ll know what feels right in the moment,” Adam said.

“I hope so,” Will sighed.

“Just know that your mom is going to love you no matter what, just like we do,” Mike said.

“Thanks, guys,” Will smiled. “I’ve been going crazy about this for weeks… I guess in a way I’m glad you walked in when you did.”

Mike, El, and Adam laughed, and Will was relieved that he felt at ease with the situation now.

“So, did I hear something about food earlier? Because I’m starving,” Adam said when it was clear that everyone was comfortable again.

“Me too,” Will agreed, and Mike and El nodded.

The four of them left to get dinner together, and Will felt even closer to Mike and El than he ever had before. He was finally being his honest self with them, and they accepted him for who he was. After dinner, Mike and El kissed good night, and El walked off with Adam since their dorms were in the same direction.

Mike and Will made it back to their room, and while Will sat at his desk drawing, Mike laid on his back looking up at the ceiling. It had taken a backseat to everything else that happened that afternoon, but Mike’s mind was back on proposing to El.

She was the only girl he would ever want to be with, and he knew that. It didn’t matter how young they were. He wanted the world to know that El was his forever. But, El deserved way more than he could afford at the moment. Would his friends and family think they were crazy for getting engaged so young? Would El be happy with the size of ring he could afford? Should he just wait until he could get a job after college? Should he get a job behind his parents’ backs?

“What’s on your mind?” Will asked, pulling Mike out of his thoughts.

Mike let out a deep sigh and almost said it was nothing. He thought better of it and decided maybe Will could help him. After all, Will had really opened up to him earlier in the day.

“Will you keep a secret for me?” Mike asked as he sat up on his bed.

“Of course,” Will replied and walked from his desk chair over to his own bed to sit across from Mike.

“Okay, so I’ve been thinking a lot, and… what would you think if I asked El to marry me?” Mike asked, and Will’s eyes widened.

“Wow,” Will said.

“I know,” Mike chuckled. “Her friend Bethany got engaged, and it really got me thinking. I always knew that I would propose to her some time, but Bethany was saying how she couldn’t see the point in waiting since they were in love… I kind of see her point.”

“I mean, I don’t think this is something you should rush just because some friends got engaged,” Will said carefully.

“It wouldn’t really be rushing anything. I’ve loved her since I was twelve,” Mike said.

“I know that, and I definitely agree that you two are going to get married,” Will said. “But if you were waiting, for whatever reason, don’t feel like that reason isn’t valid anymore and that you have to hurry up and propose to her just because you love her and have been together so long.”

“That’s true,” Mike nodded. “I guess the main thing that’s been holding me back is money. I can’t afford a good engagement ring right now.”

“You know you could propose to El with an arcade ring and she’d say yes, right?” Will smirked.

“I know that,” Mike laughed. “But that’s not the point. I want it to be special, and I want it to be what she deserves.”

“Have you started saving for it yet?” Will asked.

“A little bit,” Mike replied. “After I gave her that promise ring in February. I only have a few hundred dollars to put toward it right now, though.”

“And your parents are really against you getting a job, aren’t they?” Will asked, and Mike nodded. “Wait! I have an idea. They don’t want you to work while you’re going to school, but what about winter and summer breaks?”

“What do you mean?” Mike furrowed his brow.

“If you could work seasonally, just when you’re on break from school, it wouldn’t interfere with school at all,” Will explained. “You could save money over the winter and over the summer, and you should have enough money to buy her a ring at the end of the summer, if you can wait that long.”

Mike thought it over, and it seemed like a good idea. Sure, he could wait until the end of next summer if it would mean that he could buy El what he really wanted to give her. Plus, it would give him time to plan how he wanted to ask her.

“That’s a great idea,” Mike said.

“And maybe you could even see if your dad could get you in where he works when you’re home for break,” Will suggested.

“That would be easier than job hunting,” Mike agreed. “I’ll call him tomorrow. Thanks, Will.”

“Sure thing,” Will smiled. “Also, were you kind of asking my permission to marry my sister?”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Mike chuckled. “But maybe a little bit. Maybe I’ll talk to your mom when the time gets closer.”

“I bet she’ll be way less scary for you to ask than Hopper would’ve been,” Will teased.

“Oh, definitely,” Mike agreed. “I do wish that he could be around for it though… even if that would mean I had to suck it up and ask him if I could marry his daughter.”

“You know he would’ve said yes,” Will said. “You guys had a rocky relationship, but he knew how you felt about El. Then again, anyone who has been around you knows how you feel about El.”

“Am I still that obvious?” Mike grinned.

“Honestly, I’m kind of surprised you didn’t get married the day she turned eighteen,” Will chuckled.

“Well, I’m trying to be responsible and make it as perfect as I can for her,” Mike said.

“I know,” Will smiled. “Good luck, and keep me updated.”

“I will,” Mike said.

Will went back to his drawing, and Mike found his mind wandering to different ways to propose. He didn’t want to make it too much of a spectacle, but he wanted it to be special. Mike didn’t know how long he laid there thinking about kneeling down on one knee, the look on her face when she would say yes and kiss him, and how breathtaking she would look in a wedding dress, but El walking toward him in a dazzling white dress was the last thing he saw in his mind before falling asleep.

The next day, Mike was alone in his dorm room. Will was at the comic book store with Adam, and El was going to be coming over when she finished the short story she was working on. It was the perfect opportunity for Mike to talk to his dad. He knew his dad would have just gotten home within the last half hour, and he knew his mom would not have served dinner yet. Mike picked up the phone and called his house.

“Hello?” came his mother’s slightly annoyed voice.

“Hey, Mom,” Mike said.

“Michael! Hi, how are you, sweetheart?” Karen asked, her tone instantly lighting up at the sound of her son’s voice.

“I’m good. How are things there?” Mike asked.

“Same as always,” Karen sighed. “I’m trying to make dinner while your dad watches the news, and Holly is bouncing between asking for help with her homework and asking if she can go to a friend’s house this weekend. I wish you were still here to at least help her with her homework.”

“Sorry,” Mike chuckled.

“Anyway, it’s so nice to hear from you,” Karen said. “Are you coming home soon?”

“Probably not until Thanksgiving,” Mike replied.

“Okay,” Karen sighed. “Well, honey, it’s always nice to talk to you, but I need to check on the chicken.”

“Actually, I called because I wanted to ask Dad something,” Mike explained.

“Oh – you called for your father?” Karen asked, and Mike could hear the confusion in her voice.

“Yeah,” Mike replied. “Could you put him on?”

“Sure, sweetie,” Karen said. “I’ll get him. Feel free to call some time when I’m not cooking dinner, though.”

“Okay, I will, Mom,” Mike said.

“I love you, honey,” Karen said.

“Love you too, Mom,” Mike replied.

“Ted! Mike is on the phone for you!” Mike heard the muffled sound of his mom calling for his dad. There was a moment of silence before he heard his mom’s voice again. “Michael – your son – Michael is on the phone for you!”

A moment later, Mike heard the shuffling of the phone being passed from one hand to another, and then his dad’s disinterested voice rang in his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Dad, it’s me,” Mike said. 

“Hi, son. What can I do for you?” Ted asked.

“Well, um, I have a question – I guess it’s kind of a favor,” Mike said.

“What would that be?” Ted asked.

“Well, there’s something that I really want to save up to buy,” Mike started. “And I know you and Mom don’t want me to get a job while I’m in school-”

“Absolutely not,” Ted interjected. “Your girlfriend is already too much of a distraction; we don’t need a job to take your focus away from your studies as well.”

“El isn’t a distraction, Dad,” Mike said through pursed lips. “But anyway, I was thinking that maybe I could work during breaks from school. Winter break, spring break, summer.”

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t interfere with your schoolwork then,” Ted said thoughtfully.

“Exactly,” Mike agreed. 

“Where were you planning on working during these breaks?” Ted asked.

“See, that’s where the favor comes in,” Mike said. “Do you think your office could use some help at all? You could literally use me for anything.”

“Michael, you have no interest in the business world. You have never shown any interest in what I do,” Ted said.

“Please, Dad? You could have me file stuff or – I don’t care – clean or do whatever you want,” Mike pleaded. “There’s got to be something you could come up with for me to do for a few weeks.”

Mike heard his dad exhale a long breath, and he waited for the final answer.

“Okay,” Ted said. “I’ll have to clear it with the office manager, but I don’t see why it would be a problem.”

“Thank you,” Mike said in a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much.”

“What exactly are you wanting to save up to buy?” Ted asked.

Mike stopped himself before blurting out the truth. He was not so sure that his dad would approve of him wanting to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring, and Mike did not feel like listening to his dad talk about how his mind should be on his grades and not girls.

“A new tv and Nintendo to have at college with me so I can give you guys back the ones I took from the basement,” he said the first thing that came to mind.

“Hmm. Well, it would be nice to have my property back in my house,” Ted said, and Mike rolled his eyes.

“Sure, well, thanks again, Dad,” Mike said.

“Let me know the dates you’ll be home for winter break, and I’ll get it arranged,” Ted said.

“I will,” Mike said. “Bye, Dad.”

“Bye,” Ted replied and hung up the phone.

Mike had a smile on his face as he hung up the phone. His dad was actually helpful, and soon he would be able to start adding to his savings for El’s ring. 

Just then, there was a knock on his door, and when Mike opened it, El was standing in the hallway smiling up at him.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a smile and leaned down to kiss her. “The movie starts at seven, so we have plenty of time to get dinner if you’re hungry.”

“Yes, please,” El grinned.

Mike and El started walking down the hallway, and as El told him about her day, Mike couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubble inside him at the thought of being able to call El his fiancé by next year at this time. Something about having a plan in place made it more real, even though he had always known that they would always be together.

“Oh! Bethany invited us to a Halloween party next weekend,” El was saying excitedly.

“She did?” Mike asked.

“Yeah. She and Cam are going as Danny and Sandy from Grease,” El said. “So we have a week to come up with something.”

“We can go to the Halloween store this weekend and see what they have left,” Mike suggested.

“Okay,” El nodded. “Bethany also said Will and Adam could come along.”

“Did you tell her that Will and Adam are a thing?” Mike asked.

“No, I didn’t think that was my place. She invited you and me, and I said I wanted to see what my brother and his friend were doing, and she said to bring them along,” El explained.

“Okay,” Mike said. “We can talk to Will about it this weekend. Maybe the four of us can go costume shopping together.”

“That would be so much fun!” El exclaimed.

Mike smiled at her excitement and was suddenly looking forward to this Halloween party, not because he cared about going to a college party, but because he would do anything El wanted if it made her that happy.

While Mike and El were on their way to their dinner and movie plans, Max was getting ready to leave her final class of the week. She loved that she had no morning classes, but of course the tradeoff was still being in classes late into the afternoon.

Max’s backpack was packed up and ready to go three minutes before her professor dismissed them, and as soon as her classmates began standing from their desks, Max was preparing to make a beeline for the door. But then, her professor stopped her.

“Miss Mayfield, may I see you for a moment after class?” Dr. Morris addressed her from the front of the class.

Max pursed her lips in annoyance but nodded. When her classmates had left the room, Max was alone with Dr. Morris. The professor was an older woman with gray roots growing well into her brown hair. She gave off stern vibes in class, but Max could see by the softened expression on Dr. Morris’s face that she had a more caring side in more personal settings.

“Miss Mayfield, I want to talk to you about your grade in this class,” the woman began.

“What about it?” Max asked.

“We are two months into the semester – nearly halfway done – and you are only a handful of points away from failing,” Dr. Morris explained. “If I could identify the problem as a difficulty understanding the material, that would be one thing, but I cannot even do that because you have turned in so few of the assignments.”

“What’s the minimum requirement to pass the class?” Max asked bluntly.

“The minimum, as with all courses, is sixty percent,” Dr. Morris replied. “But relying on the bare minimum to get you through to graduation is a dangerous game.”

“It’s only my first semester. Graduation is a long way away,” Max pointed out.

“It may seem like that right now, dear, but it will sneak up on you faster than you think,” Dr. Morris said. “And when it does, I don’t want you to look back on your courses in regret, knowing you could have performed better.”

“I can assure you that I won’t,” Max stated.

“Nevertheless, I would highly encourage you to attend my office hours so we can figure out a way to boost your grade in this course, either through extra credit or turning in your missed assignments for partial credit,” Dr. Morris suggested.

“I’ll think about it,” Max shrugged.

“Please do,” Dr. Morris smiled.

Max left the classroom when Dr. Morris dismissed her, and on the walk back to her dorm room, she let her professor’s warning and offer completely slip out of her mind. When Max reached her room, she found Sarah rummaging through her closet.

“What’s up?” Max asked as she tossed her backpack on her desk chair.

“I’m looking for something to wear tonight,” Sarah replied.

“Where are you going tonight?” Max asked.

“Becca from my econ class invited me to a party at her boyfriend’s apartment to pre-game. Then we’re going out to the bars later tonight,” Sarah replied.

“That sounds fun,” Max said, her interest peaked.

“Yeah, if I had literally anything to wear,” Sarah sighed. “Hey, you know that black and red dress that I tell you all the time you should wear and you never do? Can I borrow it tonight?”

“You can wear my dress if you bring me along to the party,” Max bargained.

“Deal,” Sarah laughed and hurried over to Max’s closet to snatch the dress.

“What time are we leaving?” Max asked.

“Probably nine,” Sarah replied. “I wanted to have my outfit ready so I wouldn’t stress about it later. I really need to do this take-home test for my calculus class.”

“Lame,” Max scoffed.

“Don’t you have anything to work on before the party tonight?” Sarah asked, and Max shrugged.

“I guess,” she said.

“Have you been okay recently?” Sarah asked, creasing her forehead in concern.

“Yeah, why?” Max asked, her guard coming up.

“You’ve just seemed distant the past few weeks,” Sarah replied. “It’s almost like you didn’t really take the time to be sad about you and your boyfriend breaking up. You’ve just seemed off.”

“Maybe I didn’t need to take time to be sad because I had already gotten over the relationship before I officially ended it,” Max said defensively.

“I was just wondering,” Sarah said, raising her hands in surrender.

Max had not heard from Lucas in weeks. He had not reached out to her, and she had not reached out to him. Then again, that was the point of breaking up. They needed to each do their own thing. It almost hurt Max worse that El had stopped calling. Max had never returned her calls, but knowing that El had given up on trying to reach her stung more than her breakup with Lucas.

“I’m fine,” Max said firmly.

“Okay,” Sarah said, not entirely convinced. “Well hey, how would you feel about a Halloween party next weekend? My sister said there’s this annual Halloween bash, and it’s the biggest party of the year.”

“I am so in,” Max said excitedly.

“Sweet. It’ll be fun,” Sarah said, and Max knew she was right. How would her first college Halloween party be anything other than a blast?

In Michigan, Dustin and Suzie were finishing up with their lab for the day. Ever since their confrontation in the hallway, they had a mutual silent agreement not to discuss their past relationship anymore. As the weeks had gone on, Suzie slowly treated Dustin less and less like garbage and more like a simple stranger. By now, they were able to remain cordial throughout class and complete their labs together without snide remarks at the other’s expense. It was progress.

“That was the last step,” Suzie said as she skimmed over their lab instruction packet once more. “Now we put the solution in the cooler. We will continue with it in part two next week.”

“Cool,” Dustin nodded.

He covered the beaker and carried it over to the cooler, wrote his and Suzie’s names on a piece of scotch tape to label their solution, and placed it amongst their classmates’.

“So, that’s it for the day?” Dustin asked when he returned to their lab table.

“Yes,” Suzie nodded. 

She had already started cleaning up their table and washing the materials that they used. Dustin helped her, and soon they were ready to leave.

“Good work today,” Dustin said as Suzie started to walk away. Then, he scolded himself for sounding like he was praising a child or subordinate.

Suzie paused, and before she turned to face him, Dustin was prepared for her to snap at him and tell him she didn’t need his praise or something. After all, these niceties surely couldn’t continue forever. 

“Thanks,” Suzie said with an amused smile.

“Have a good weekend,” Dustin said bravely since she responded surprisingly well.

“You too,” Suzie replied.

Briefly, Dustin felt hopeful that he and Suzie were putting the past behind them and were able to get along. Maybe they could even become friends one day. Of course, that would be a longshot, and Dustin knew that.

Then, he saw Suzie greet that boyfriend of hers right outside their lab doorway. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, and they walked down the hallway hand-in-hand. It still took Dustin another moment to realize he was watching them.

Dustin shook his head and left the classroom toward his own dorm. When he got back to his room, his roommate Sam was already inside.

“Hey,” Sam greeted him. “How was your lab?”

“Suzie is being weirdly not a deranged, bitter ex,” Dustin replied.

“I don’t think she was ever quite being deranged,” Sam chuckled.

“You weren’t there,” Dustin said. “Anyway, the hatred seems to have subsided.”

“So you can work together now?” Sam asked.

“For now,” Dustin replied. “I think her new way of spiting me is less obvious.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.

“She’s flaunting that boyfriend now,” Dustin said with a roll of his eyes.

“Flaunting how?” Sam asked.

“He meets her outside the classroom at the end of the day. She kisses him when she knows I can see them,” Dustin replied.

“I don’t think that has anything to do with you, man,” Sam said. “I think they’re just behaving like a normal couple, and you see it because you’re also in the class.”

“I know spite when it’s directed at me,” Dustin said.

“You know what you need to do?” Sam asked.

“Do tell,” Dustin said, leaning back in his chair.

“You need to find a new girl to focus on other than your ex,” Sam replied.

“You think I don’t know that?” Dustin asked. “They’re not exactly lining the streets to go out with me, though.”

“What are you doing next weekend?” Sam asked.

“Nothing yet,” Dustin replied.

“Come to this party with me,” Sam invited. “It’s nothing wild. My friend’s older brother is having a Halloween thing at his apartment. It’s super casual. The plans are to get drunk, play some drinking games, have a good time. There will be girls there.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Dustin sighed.

“Sweet,” Sam said. “You do need a costume, though.”

“Fine, I’ll pick one up this weekend,” Dustin said.

“Great. It’ll be fun,” Sam said. “We’ll get you a new girl, and after next weekend, you won’t even think about whether this Suzie girl is being spiteful or not.”

“We’ll see,” Dustin chuckled, though he hoped there was truth to what Sam had planned.

The next morning, Lucas groggily opened his eyes as the alarm on his watch started to beep next to his ear. He silenced his watch, rolled onto his back, and rubbed his eyes. When his vision focused, he realized he was not in his own room. Lucas turned his head toward the soft breathing next to him and saw that the girl he had left the party with last night was still sound asleep next to him.

Lucas glanced at his watch and knew that he had to meet the team in three hours for practice before their game today. If he got up now, he would have time to shower, eat breakfast, and maybe nap for an extra hour before leaving his room. Plus, he would be able to sneak out before the girl next to him woke up.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled on his boxers and jeans that were laying in a heap on the floor. Lucas covered the bare girl in her blanket, grabbed his shirt from her desk chair to put on, and quietly made his way out of her dorm room, pulling the door shut behind him as he stepped out into the quiet hallway.

It was way too early for most college kids to be awake, and Lucas preferred it that way. He was able to get back to his room and prepare for the game without having to make smalltalk with the girl from last night. What was her name again? Lucas thought maybe it was Samantha. They had started dancing together at the party last night, and one thing led to another until Lucas ended up in her bed with her. This girl was not the first girl Lucas had hooked up with in the weeks since his breakup with Max, and she likely wouldn’t be the last.

He had been angry after the breakup. Lucas had really tried with Max. He had loved her and put so much effort into the long-distance aspect of their relationship. Still, she had decided that she didn’t want commitment. Lucas had cursed the fact that he wasted so many years of his life, but then he decided that if Max wanted to sleep around, he could do that, too. It was turning out that there was something to this college experience that Max kept talking about, after all.

Lucas was only two months in to college, and his life was so much different than it had been in Hawkins. There was a level of respect and a heightened social status that came with being a member of the football team, even though he didn’t get any real playing time due to being a freshman. Still, the popularity, making friends with the upperclassmen, parties every weekend, and as many girls as he wanted. Really, Max had done him a favor.

As he walked back to his dorm, Lucas started to get into the game day mentality. His goal was to be a starter next year as a sophomore, but if he could make it into even one game this year, he would be happy. Marcus seemed to think he deserved it, and Lucas was sure that Marcus made that known to the coaches.

Lucas returned to his room, showered and changed, and went downstairs to the breakfast buffet in the dining hall on the first floor of his dorm building. He loaded up a plate with scrambled eggs and breakfast potatoes and sat by the window to eat.

As he ate, Lucas noticed a girl sitting alone at a table along the wall in front of him. She was eating a bagel and holding a book in her other hand. Her black curly hair was pinned back to frame her face and fell over her shoulders, and the sun shining through the window made the edges of her brown skin glow. She was definitely pretty, and Lucas had not seen her before. He wondered if she lived in this building since she was eating in this hall.

The girl looked up and met Lucas’s eyes, and he did not look away. She smiled and then looked back to her book. Lucas directed his attention back to his own plate, and as he was finishing his breakfast, he saw someone sit in the empty chair at his table. When he looked up, he saw it was her.

“You’re Lucas Sinclair, right?” she asked, and Lucas was slightly taken aback.

“Who’s asking?” he grinned.

“I’m Miranda,” she said.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Miranda,” Lucas smiled. “But how do you know me?”

“I know most of the guys on the team. I’m a cheerleader. The girls and I talk a lot about you. We all think it’s really cool how you made the team as a walk-on your freshman year,” Miranda explained.

“Thank you,” Lucas said. “What year are you?”

“I’m a sophomore,” Miranda replied. 

“Well, I’ll be looking out for you at the game today,” Lucas said.

“How about you look out for me after the game instead?” Miranda asked, and Lucas was taken off guard by her boldness.

“I think that could be arranged,” Lucas said with a sly grin.

“Good luck today,” Miranda smiled before standing up and walking out of the dining hall.

Several hours later, Lucas was hitting the showers with the rest of the team. There was just enough time between the end of practice and the start of the game to shower and change into their fresh uniforms.

He had tried not to be too distracted, but today when the cheerleaders arrived on the field for their practice, Lucas couldn’t help but look for Miranda. Sure enough, she was there with the rest of the girls. He didn’t know how he had missed her before. 

“Sinclair, did you start seeing one of the cheerleaders or something?” Marcus asked as he walked by Lucas with a towel draped around his neck.

“No, I’m not seeing anyone. Why?” Lucas asked.

“You were paying them an awful lot of attention today,” Marcus replied.

“I’m single now. I’m allowed to look,” Lucas chuckled.

“I need your mind on practice, especially if you want a shot at getting in a game this year,” Marcus said. “You can look at all the cheerleaders you want at the party next weekend.”

“What party?” Lucas asked.

“Only the biggest party of the entire year,” Deonte said from next to Marcus.

“Every year, the upperclassmen of the team throw a Halloween party,” Marcus said.

“An absolute fucking rager,” Deonte chimed in.

“Of course, everyone’s in a better mood when we’re on a winning streak. So let’s focus on football today, and you can focus on cheerleaders next weekend,” Marcus said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Lucas said.

Lucas and the rest of the team changed into their clean uniforms and headed out for the pregame ceremony. Before fully going into game mode, Lucas snuck one last glance over toward the cheerleaders and caught Miranda’s eye. He flashed her a smile and found himself hoping she would be at this Halloween party next weekend.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! I realize it has been nearly a month since I’ve updated this. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to any holiday that you may have celebrated. I have been working on this chapter for about three weeks, and I finally have this mammoth of a chapter as an end result (over 15,000 words!). I really hope you guys like it. I put a lot of thought into the format of it, and I hope that you feel like we move in and out of the different storylines seamlessly instead of it feeling like we’re bouncing all over the place. I also tested positive for Covid-19 last week and have been fighting that and feeling generally like garbage for a week. Thank you all for your patience, and I really hope you like this chapter. Please remember to leave a review with your thoughts!
> 
> TW: Homophobic slur  
> TW: Drug use

The next Saturday night, college students everywhere were preparing for what would be the biggest night of parties so far in the semester. Halloween weekend was bigger than move-in weekend, homecoming weekend, or any home football game. Everyone was dressing up and going out; even people in her hall that El knew typically were not big socializers were donning costumes.

In her own room, El and Mike were getting ready, dressing themselves in the costumes they had bought the previous weekend.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into going as some Disney prince,” Mike huffed as he finished buttoning his white shirt.

“Well, it was either that or we would’ve had to go as Ninja Turtles,” El reminded him as she adjusted the long red wig on her head. “And would you rather spend the night with me dressed as a Ninja Turtle, or this?”

When she turned to face him, Mike nearly choked. The red locks from the wig flowed over her bare shoulders and down to the middle of her back. She was wearing a purple clamshell bra which had been designed with surprisingly enough coverage that she was not spilling out of it, which made both El and Mike more comfortable about the whole thing. Her stomach was bare, but an inch below her bellybutton began the tight green pencil skirt that was to mimic a mermaid tail.

“This. Definitely this,” Mike said, looking her up and down.

When they had arrived at the store the previous weekend to shop for Halloween costumes, the selection had been picked over, leaving very few options. El had been set on the two of them finding costumes that went together, and the only couples costumes she found in the proper sizes were Princess Ariel and Prince Eric from an upcoming Disney movie. They had seen trailers for the movie that was coming out in about three weeks, and Mike knew he had no interest in it. But, knowing how important it was to El that they dressed up together, along with knowing how hot she would look in the costume, made it pretty easy for Mike to be talked into it.

“That’s what I thought,” El smiled.

Then there was a knock on El’s door. She opened it to see Bethany and Cam dressed as Danny and Sandy from Grease. Bethany was wearing skintight black leather pants and an off-the-shoulder black top, exposing her midriff, like Sandy wore in the final sequence of the movie. Bethany’s blonde hair was teased but much longer than Sandy’s, draping over her shoulders. Cam was dressed in black jeans, a black shirt, and a black leather jacket with the T-Birds name and logo on the back. His blonde hair was styled with gel to mimic Danny’s hairstyle, and even though Cam’s hair was blonde instead of dark brown, he was unmistakably dressed as Danny.

“You guys look fantastic,” El said.

“Thanks! So do you. Is this from that new mermaid movie coming out?” Bethany asked.

“Yeah,” El nodded. “It was basically all the store had left.”

“I kind of thought it was a little weird to sexualize a kids movie with costumes like this, but,” Mike grinned and playfully looked El up and down.

“Got over that pretty quickly, huh?” Cam laughed.

“Okay, well we should get going. Where are we meeting up with your brother?” Bethany asked.

“Outside the student union,” El replied.

The four of them left El’s room and soon were stepping into the cool October evening air. 

Will and Adam were also on their way to the student union to meet up with the others. Part of him was excited, but Will would be lying if he said he didn’t have reservations about tonight. It was his and Adam’s first time actually attending an event in public together. Luckily, Mike and El had reacted well to the news and were more accepting than Will ever could have hoped. However, strangers were not always so kind. Will was definitely worried about appearing too much as a couple with Adam in front of the wrong people and facing some type of bullying. He didn’t want that. He wanted an enjoyable night with his boyfriend, his best friend, and his sister, and Will hoped that is what he would get.

Adam understood Will’s concerns. He had even offered that he and Will stay home from the party and just have a movie night. Will had briefly considered it but decided ultimately that he did not want to keep hiding. He just hoped he wasn’t making a mistake and putting himself or Adam in harm’s way.

The two of them had gone costume shopping with Mike and El, and Adam fully supported their purchase of the royal couple from The Little Mermaid. None of them intended to see the movie, but Adam thought that Mike and El would look cute together and that Mike’s hair was the perfect color and length to portray Prince Eric. Will had had less of an opinion on whatever coupley costumes Mike and El decided on – though he had pursed his lips a little at his sister’s decision to wear a pencil skirt and clamshell bra in public – and was more focused on what he and Adam could wear.

He and Adam wanted to wear costumes from the same franchise, and Will was comfortable with the idea because he knew male friends wore matching costumes all the time. It would likely not draw any unwanted attention their way or make them prone to homophobic bullying. They ultimately decided to go as Batman and the Joker, Will dressing as the Caped Crusader and Adam as his arch nemesis.

“You’re sure you want to go? It’s not too late to change our plans. We can have a horror movie marathon instead,” Adam offered, and Will looked over to offer an appreciative smile.

“I want to go,” he said decidedly. “I think it will be fun.”

“Okay,” Adam nodded. “We can always leave if you don’t like it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Will replied.

They reached the student union, and soon they were joined by Mike, El, Bethany, and Cam. After commenting on how great everyone’s costumes looked, the six of them were on their way.

It wasn’t a far walk, only about fifteen minutes. El stumbled once in the green high heels she was wearing and grabbed onto Mike’s arm to steady her.

“Easy there, Princess,” Mike grinned as she steadied herself. “How are you going to make the walk home in those heels tonight after a few drinks?”

“Maybe my prince will be so kind as to carry me,” El replied, blinking her long lashes innocently.

Will shook his head and looked over at Adam.

“You get used to hearing stuff like that. Eventually, you’ll stop wanting to gag,” Will said, and Adam chuckled.

Soon, they arrived at a two-story house with the front porch covered in strands of orange lights and fake spider webs. 

“Whose house is this?” El asked Bethany, noting there were no Greek letters, so it must not have been a fraternity house.

“Jake’s friend Paul and some of Paul’s buddies live here. I think four or five guys rent it together,” Bethany replied.

They went inside and were greeted with the loud sound of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” blaring through the speakers. Inside, the house was decorated with the same orange lights as the porch. All the lamps and overhead lighting in the house was turned off, so the orange glow from the doorways, fireplace mantle, and banister illuminated the otherwise dark house. Dozens of their peers were already drinking and dancing the night away dressed as characters from any and everything that had been made popular thus far. 

In the dining room, there was a keg, and some guy El didn’t recognize who was dressed in a toga was being propped upside down over it, chugging from the nozzle. El immediately thought of Max being so proud of her own kegstand, and El felt the familiar pang of sadness that revisited her every now and then when she was reminded that she and Max had not spoken in so long.

Behind the couch in the living room, a beer pong table was set up, and there was a whiteboard with the teams listed who were waiting their turn.

“Let’s go put ourselves on the list,” Cam said and pulled Bethany toward the living room without waiting for an answer.

“Do you have any interest in beer pong tonight?” Mike asked, a slight smile on his lips as he remembered the only time he had ever seen El play beer pong at Steve Harrington’s house on New Year’s Eve when they were still broken up.

“We’ll see,” El shrugged. “Let’s go get a drink, though.”

Mike nodded and let El take his hand and lead him down the hallway to where they only assumed the kitchen could be. In the kitchen, people seemed calmer. Many were standing around the room talking amongst one another with cups in their hands. Mike and El approached the counter where the punchbowl was, Adam and Will right behind them.

“Why is it green?” Will asked over El’s shoulder, turning his nose up in disgust at the communal liquid.

El did not have an answer for her brother but pulled two plastic cups from the top of the stack next to the bowl and filled one for herself and one for Mike. Will and Adam each filled a cup themselves, and the four of them stepped to the side of the kitchen. Mike watched El carefully as she held the cup up to her nose to breathe in the scent of the liquid and scrunched up her nose.

“It’s not that bad,” Adam said, licking his lips after taking a sip.

The others followed suit, Will cringing at the taste, and both Mike and El showing only mild distaste for the drink.

“It’s okay,” El shrugged. She had definitely had better.

Suddenly, Adam heard a familiar voice call his name, and he turned around to see someone he knew from one of his classes. Adam excused himself from Mike and El and went to talk to his other friend, Will following along after hesitating for a moment.

Mike and El returned to the living room each with their drink in their hand. Soon, Bethany and Cam rejoined them carrying four shot glasses. El took a whiff of the dark liquid before raising it to clink against Bethany’s. The four of them took the shots, and El immediately chased it with the liquid in her cup.

She started to feel herself loosen up, and after another shot and being on her second cup of the drink from the punchbowl in the kitchen, El decided to slow down. The feeling of being drunk was not new to her anymore, but she still did not want to get carried away so early. She was a lot more comfortable having Mike with her, too.

Mike was not leaving her side, and after El finished her second cup, he put hers in his empty cup and placed them on the mantle. It wasn’t long before Cam showed up with four more drinks, one for each himself, Bethany, Mike, and El. El took it politely and gave Mike a look that said she was still going to slow down and nurse this drink.

“Hey! You guys made it!” came a familiar voice that was louder than usual.

El turned to see Jake, dressed as a Viking with the hat placed atop his red hair, and his chiseled chest bare other than the knot of his cape that was tied in front of his neck.

“Danny and Sandy, solid choice,” Jake nodded his approval at Bethany and Cam, then he turned to look at El. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

“You remember El,” Bethany said, and Jake’s eyes widened considerably.

“Shit!” he exclaimed. “Must not recognize you with the red hair or something… Nice costume. You look hot as hell.”

“She is beautiful,” Mike said, placing his hand on El’s waist and pulling her close to his side.

“I’m not tryin’ to step on any toes, man,” Jake said, raising his hands in innocence. “Why don’t we all take a shot together.”

Jake hurried to the kitchen and back, returning with five small plastic cups filled with red jello. He passed out the jello shots, and the five of them clinked the plastic rims together before tossing their heads back to take the shots.

When they were finished, Jake offered to collect the empty jello shot cups, and he looked impressively at El’s, raising his eyebrows and nodding.

“You got every last bit of jello out of there,” Jake said and then looked suggestively at Mike and nudged his arm. “She pretty talented with her tongue?”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Mike said, stepping fully between El and Jake to block his girlfriend from Jake’s view.

“Chill, bro. I’m just messing around,” Jake said, raising his hands up again. “You all enjoy the party.”

When Jake walked away, Mike turned around to face El, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

“Are you okay?” he murmured against her hair, and El nodded.

“Sorry about that,” Cam said as he and Bethany stepped closer. “Jake’s a really good guy, he just acts stupid sometimes and says some dumb shit. He’s harmless, though.”

“It’s okay,” El said with a shrug, though she squeezed her arms tighter around Mike.

“It’s true,” Bethany nodded. “I wouldn’t hang around him if he wasn’t harmless. He just says some douchey stuff sometimes.”

“Really, it’s okay,” El insisted.

“Alright, well we’re gonna go get some more drinks,” Bethany said before grabbing Cam’s hand and walking toward the kitchen again.

When they were alone, Mike placed a finger under El’s chin and lifted her face to look up at him.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked gently.

“Yeah,” El nodded. “He is usually a cool guy. He was just drunk and stupid.”

“Okay,” Mike said, relieved. “You know, he was right about one thing. You are hot as hell.”

“Oh yeah?” El asked, the corners of her lips tugging up into a suggestive grin as she unclasped her arms from around Mike’s waist and placed her hands on his chest.

“Fuck yeah, you are,” Mike breathed, his eyes glancing down to El’s chest that was covered in purple clamshells and then back up to her hazel eyes.

She innocently bit her bottom lip, and then Mike leaned in to kiss her, the taste of all the different types of liquor they had both had mixing between their mouths. They didn’t notice when Bethany returned with more drinks and placed theirs on the mantle next to where they were getting lost in each other.

In Kalamazoo, Dustin and Sam had arrived at the apartment of Sam’s friend’s brother. Dustin was prepared to know nobody there other than Sam, and he viewed it as the perfect opportunity to make some new friends and maybe meet some new female prospects.

The apartment was sort of crowded but mainly casual. It was nothing like the college parties that Dustin had seen in movies or that he was sure Lucas had experienced being part of his university’s football team. The first difference was that it was explained to them as BYOB, so Dustin and Sam had given money to Sam’s friend’s older brother to buy them some booze ahead of time. When they got there, everyone was sitting around casually talking while Halloween music played in the background.

“Your stuff’s in the fridge,” they were told by someone Dustin didn’t recognize.

Sam explained as the two of them walked into the kitchen that that had been his friend’s brother Johnny who had bought them the alcohol.

Dustin and Sam each took a beer out of the fridge that they knew was purchased for them and then rejoined everyone else in the living room. Sam found his friend who invited him to this party, and he and Dustin joined him on the couch.

“Hey, this is my roommate Dustin. Dustin, this is my buddy Chris,” Sam introduced them.

“Nice to meet you, man,” Dustin said, shaking Chris’s hand.

“You too,” Chris said. “You having a good time so far?”

“Yeah. I mean, we just got here, but it seems pretty chill,” Dustin said, looking around.

“Dustin’s kind of on the prowl tonight, trying to get over a bitter ex,” Sam said, taking a swig of his beer.

“I’ve been there,” Chris said knowingly. “Girls can be heartless, that’s for sure.”

“It’s complicated,” Dustin shrugged and took a drink of his own beer.

As he looked around the apartment, suddenly his eyes fell on one of the prettiest girls he thought he’d ever seen. He knew he really found her attractive, too, because he was only halfway done with one beer, so it couldn’t have been influenced by the booze. She was standing in the doorway between the living room and kitchen, talking to a friend who Dustin assumed she came to the party with. Dustin found it hard to look away from her bright smile, but he did long enough to see what she was wearing to the party.

“You see someone you like?” Sam asked from next to him, startling Dustin.

“You tell me,” Dustin said and nodded his head in the direction of the girl.

“Well, shit. Go for it,” Sam encouraged him.

“How do I know she’ll like me?” Dustin asked, suddenly feeling childish for his question.

“Well, the fact that her costume goes right along with yours is a pretty good starting point,” Sam pointed out.

The girl that Dustin was watching was dressed in a floor-length, form-fitting white dress with long sleeves and a slit from the floor to her hip. There was a silver belt hanging around her hips, and her brown hair was done up in two buns, one on each side of her head. Dustin looked down at his Han Solo costume and had to agree with his roommate.

“It’s like it was meant to be,” Chris laughed from Sam’s other side.

“Just go say hi,” Sam said.

“Alright, alright, I will,” Dustin said. “Just give me a minute.”

He upended his beer and chugged the rest of it, hoping for some liquid courage. Then, he stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen, surpassing the girl but watching her out of the corner of his eye as he passed her. Dustin went to the fridge to grab another beer, and as he started walking back through the kitchen, he saw the girl glance his way and smile, causing his heart to flip in his chest.

“Fancy meeting you here, Princess Leia,” Dustin said with a cheesy grin, causing the girl to laugh a sweet-sounding giggle that was so wildly different from Suzie’s.

“The pleasure is all mine,” the girl responded, holding her hand out for Dustin to take, which he did and planted a kiss on the back of it. “And tonight, you may call me Zoey.”

“Dustin,” he returned the introduction. “Your costume looks great. Leia’s buns have nothing on yours.”

Zoey laughed again and her cheeks blushed red.

“Are you always this corny?” she asked.

“Only if it keeps making you laugh like that,” Dustin grinned.

As Dustin and Zoey started to get into conversation, Johnny announced that he would be starting a Jenga tournament and that everyone had to participate.

“Everyone partner up. We need two teams for the first round,” Johnny exclaimed.

Zoey suddenly grabbed Dustin’s hand and volunteered the two of them. Johnny set up the game on the coffee table, and Zoey and Dustin sat across from each other while another team of two sat across from each other on the other ends of the table.

Dustin thought Jenga was a pretty lame party game, and it was definitely not what he had had in mind when Sam said there would be drinking games, but he thought it could be fun to play as Zoey’s partner. Plus, if everyone had to participate, it was good to get their turn out of the way early so they could keep getting to know each other.

“Alright, whichever team loses has to chug their drinks. Everyone got a full drink?” Johnny asked, looking around at the four competitors.

The game was underway, and both members of each team took turns removing a small block from the tower in the middle of the coffee table. Dustin was quickly changing his mind about Jenga being lame as he saw how much fun Zoey was actually having. He could see her competitive nature in her eyes and the strategy that she put in to choosing which block to pull out.

Dustin was slightly distracted by watching his partner, and he did not realize right away that it was his turn to play until Sam nudged him from behind. Dustin quickly made a decision and pulled an end piece out of the tower. He heard Zoey inhale sharply as the tower began to sway back and forth, and Dustin held his breath hoping he didn’t lose the game for them. He and Zoey both exhaled in relief when the tower stopped swaying.

It went around one more time with the other three players each successfully removing a block from the tower, and then it was Dustin’s turn again. He was ready this time. He had strategically chosen which block to pull out that he knew would keep himself and Zoey in the game and make it difficult for their opponents not to knock the tower over.

He reached forward, the tip of his tongue held between his front teeth in concentration. Dustin poked the end of the middle block that was his target until it started poking through on the other side. Then, he reached his arm around the tower and began gingerly pulling it straight out. That’s when the apartment door unexpectedly opened, and out of the corner of his eye Dustin caught a glimpse of who was walking in.

“Anna! Hi!” Suzie’s voice rang in Dustin’s ears.

He looked up suddenly to see Suzie embracing a girl near the front door with her new boyfriend standing behind her in the doorway. When Dustin had jerked up, he had roughly pulled the block the rest of the way out, causing the tower to topple down in front of him.

“Awww!” came the disappointed groan from the people who were watching the game.

Dustin looked over the table at Zoey and offered a weak apologetic smile.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Zoey shrugged. “It gives us more time to hang out.”

Dustin pushed himself to his feet and started to walk away from the table before Johnny stopped him.

“You know the rules,” Johnny reminded them.

That caught Suzie’s attention, and she turned to look toward the center of the room to see Dustin standing next to the jumbled Jenga pieces, holding a beer. She pursed her lips in annoyance and maintained eye contact with him while Dustin raised the beer to his lips. Across from him, Zoey raised her own drink to her mouth as well. Dustin finally broke his gaze with Suzie as he began to chug his drink, egged on by Sam and Chris behind him as well as Johnny and the group of people he did not know. As soon as Dustin and Zoey were finished chugging their drinks, Dustin looked back toward Suzie to see her standing with her arms around her new boyfriend’s neck, laughing at something that Dustin was sure was not funny at all.

“Do you want another drink?” Zoey’s voice penetrated Dustin’s thoughts, and he looked down at her as she reached for his empty beer bottle.

“Yeah, sure. Thanks,” he mumbled.

Zoey took off toward the kitchen, and Dustin made his way over to the loveseat on the opposite side of the apartment. A moment later, Zoey rejoined him and plopped down onto the cushion next to him, handing him another beer.

“Thanks,” Dustin smiled.

“You’re welcome,” Zoey replied.

Most of the people at the party were focused on the next round of Jenga that was taking place around the coffee table, but Dustin was staring directly at Suzie and her new boyfriend over Zoey’s shoulder. Zoey turned to see what was holding Dustin’s attention so intently.

“Do you know her?” she asked.

“She’s, uh, just my lab partner,” Dustin shrugged.

He turned his attention back to Zoey. There was a pretty girl in front of him dressed as Princess Leia, getting drunk, and interested in getting to know him. Surely, he could keep his attention off of Suzie for a few more hours.

Four and a half hours away in Terre Haute, Max and her roommate Sarah had arrived at the frat house that was hosting what Sarah called the biggest party of the year. They were both dressed as music video girls, and they would have fit right in on a Cyndi Lauper set. Max wore hot pink leg warmers over blue leggings, white high heels, short neon green shorts over her leggings, and an oversized black top. Her red hair had been teased and hairsprayed for hours before she got it just right. Sarah was wearing black fishnet tights, black leg warmers, a hot pink tutu with black polka dots, and a tight neon yellow tank top. Her hair was just as teased as Max’s.

They were there for one goal only, which was to have a good time. Well, Max had a secret second goal, which was to forget about everything that was going on in her life… her fight with El, her breakup with Lucas, the daunting reality that she could be failing her classes soon. Max had no intention of thinking of any of that tonight.

“There’zzz my baby sisssster,” slurred an obviously drunk upperclassman girl who draped her arms around Sarah’s shoulders in what was meant to be a hug, but Max was sure that the girl was relying on Sarah to keep her standing.

“Hey… how long have you been here?” Sarah asked, clearly struggling under her sister’s deadweight that was pressed against her.

“Like an hour,” her sister shrugged, slurring again. “An’ who’z this?”

“I’ve told you about my roommate, Max,” Sarah replied as her older sister steadied herself on her own feet but maintained a grip on Sarah’s shoulder for support.

“Nice to meet you,” Max smiled.

“So polite,” Sarah’s sister laughed, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Tell me, Max… d’you come ‘ere to get fucked up?”

Max stifled a laugh at how comically fucked up Sarah’s sister already was after partying for one hour.

“Of course,” Max replied.

“Not convincing,” Sarah’s sister said, wagging her index finger. “Here. Thisss’ll help you both loosen up.”

Sarah’s sister fished around in her pocket for a moment until she pulled out a plastic baggie with several small pills of various colors.

“Courtney, what the fuck!” Sarah scolded her sister.

“Oh, calm down,” Courtney said, waving a hand nonchalantly.

Courtney slipped two fingers inside the bag and pulled out two pills, handing one out to Max and one to Sarah. Max and Sarah each took the pill hesitantly while Courtney sealed the baggie and put it back into her pocket. She looked up at the two girls expectantly while they looked at the small pills in their hands.

“Well c’mon,” Courtney said exasperatedly. “D’you need somethin’ to drink wit’ it, or what?”

Max and Sarah looked sideways at each other, and Max gave a small shrug. She didn’t want to seem lame to upperclassmen, and she had come here to have a good time and forget her troubles. Max placed the small pill on the tip of her tongue and swallowed down the saliva in her mouth, letting the little tablet slide down her throat. She looked over at Sarah who had done the same thing, and Sarah nervously met her gaze.

“Feel anything?” Sarah asked.

“Y’won’t right away, silly,” Courtney laughed. “Now go getta drink.”

Just as abruptly as she had come, Sarah’s sister left them to go find her friends again. Max and Sarah agreed to head to the kitchen and find something to drink.

Moments later, they were back in the living room, each with a cup of whatever was in the punchbowl. Max sipped her drink and started to sway her hips to the music that was playing, closing her eyes to feel the beat within her. She soon felt two hands on her hips and the presence of someone behind her. When Max opened her eyes, she was alarmed that her vision had started to blur.

“You don’t have to quit dancing, baby,” mumbled the male voice behind her when she slowed her hips.

Max shook her head, trying to focus her vision, and took another sip of her drink. She could feel her heart start to pound faster inside her chest, and Max took a deep breath through her nose, trying to calm herself.

‘Get your shit together,’ she thought to herself. ‘You’re fine. Just let loose and have a good time.’

Max closed her eyes again and focused on the melody that was playing through the speakers. She moved her hips to the beat and was vaguely aware of the hands that roamed along her hips, waist, and thighs. It was almost as if she were floating.

When she opened her eyes again, Max’s vision was still blurred, but she could identify Sarah just three feet from her, sloppily making out with some guy that Max was certain had not been there the last time she had her eyes open.

With her eyes open, Max felt her heartrate start to increase again, and her palms started to feel sweaty. She set her cup down on the table near her and pulled away from the guy she was dancing with.

“Where you going?” he objected.

“I need… air,” Max mumbled, unsure if he heard her but she did not care.

Max stumbled her way through the living room, bumping into tables and furniture, grabbing ahold of random strangers’ arms to catch herself from falling. Finally, she made her way into the kitchen and then to the sliding patio doors. Max slid open the door and stepped outside onto the concrete slab and breathed in the chilly October air. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up toward the night sky, letting the breeze cross over her face.

“Max?” she heard from the distance.

When Max opened her eyes and looked in the direction the voice came from, she saw what she thought was a blurry outline of Abby. As the blurry figure came closer, Max realized that it was, in fact, Abby.

“Max! Hey! I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Abby said as she approached the girl and wrapped her in a hug.

Max loosely wrapped her arms around the girl she had reconciled with not so long ago.

“Hey Abby,” she mumbled.

Then, two more people joined Abby and Max, and Max looked up to see Robin holding hands with a girl who Max assumed was Robin’s girlfriend. Max knew Robin was dating someone but had not yet met her.

Robin leaned in to greet Max with a hug, and Max’s nostrils filled with the smell of marijuana. When Robin pulled back, she raised the joint that she was holding to her lips and took a long, slow hit.

Max looked straight ahead, focusing on a random spot on a tree in the backyard. She was focusing on breathing in and out slowly, working to calm her heartrate. 

“Are you okay?” Robin asked, concern obvious in her tone.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, I’m just… trying to calm myself down,” Max slurred a reply.

“How much have you had to drink?” Robin asked, furrowing her brow.

“Not much,” Max shook her head. “Took a pill.”

“Max, have you ever taken ecstasy before?” Abby asked seriously, and Max shook her head. “Okay, this is a normal reaction. Just try to relax and enjoy it.”

Max nodded and did her best to listen to Abby’s advice. She supposed that aside from the increased heartrate, her body did feel pretty good. She just didn’t like feeling like her heart was going to explode.

“Maybe you should give her a hit,” Robin’s girlfriend suggested, gesturing toward the joint Robin held.

“That’s a good idea,” Abby agreed. “Max have you ever smoked weed before?”

To Abby and Robin’s surprise, Max shook her head no. They were both expecting her to have gotten high at least once by now.

“Okay, here,” Robin said, moving closer. “Take it slow. This should help lessen the effects of the ecstasy.”

Max nodded, deciding to take their word for it. Robin placed the joint into Max’s hand, and Max rose it to her lips.

“Since it’s your first time, take a small hit, okay?” Robin said. “Go ahead and breathe in slowly… Okay, now take the joint away from your lips but keep breathing in slowly.”

Max did as she was told and started to feel a burning sensation in her throat as she felt her lungs fill up.

“When you can’t inhale anymore, just hold your breath,” Robin instructed, and Max listened.

She held her breath for as long as she could, which ended up only being about four seconds, before Max started coughing.

“Okay, okay, easy,” Robin soothed, taking the joint from Max’s hand. “Let the rest of your breath out slowly.”

Max exhaled slowly and wiped the tears that had streamed from her eyes as she choked.

“There you go,” Robin said. “You’re going to start feeling more relaxed in a few minutes, okay? It’ll kind of even out the ecstasy effects.”

“Okay,” Max wheezed, still not over the burning that had formed in her throat.

As the minutes went on, Max did start to feel a different type of sensation overcome her. Her heartrate started to decrease, and she began to feel more at ease.

“Are you feeling better?” Robin asked.

“Yeah,” Max nodded.

“Fantastic,” Abby smiled. “I’m gonna go get some more drinks, and I’ll meet right back up with you.”

Then Abby disappeared into the house, leaving Max with Robin and Robin’s girlfriend.

“Max, this is Olivia,” Robin introduced.

“Sweet. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard about you,” Max said, and Robin shook her head awkwardly.

“Uh, actually, Olivia and I just started seeing each other a couple weeks ago,” Robin explained, implying that the girlfriend Max had heard about was now a thing of the past.

“Oh, shit. Sorry,” Max stumbled.

“It’s okay,” Olivia chuckled. “It’s good to meet you, too.”

Abby returned balancing two cups in each hand and passed one out to each of the three other girls. 

“So Max, how have you been since the last time I saw you?” Abby asked.

“I’ve been alright,” Max shrugged. “El and I had a falling out and haven’t spoken in weeks. Lucas and I broke up, too. It’s whatever.”

“Shit, girl, I’m sorry to hear that,” Abby said, taking a gulp from her cup.

“Thanks, but I’m not trying to think about that. I’m here to forget about that and have a good time tonight,” Max insisted.

“Then that’s what you’re going to do!” Abby exclaimed and tapped her plastic cup against Max’s as a type of cheers before downing the rest of her drink in one gulp. Max followed suit before going inside with Abby for a refill.

Lucas and his beer pong partner were down to one last cup. If he was able to sink this shot, he and Marcus would beat Deonte and Chuck. Lucas steadied himself, aimed with silent concentration, and threw the ball to the other end of the table. When the ball effortlessly landed in the lone cup, the crowd around the table erupted, and Marcus offered his fist for a fistbump.

“Alright, who’s next?!” Marcus asked, looking around the room with his arms outstretched as a challenge for someone to go against them. “Any takers?”

“We’ll go!” came a female voice.

A girl pulled her friend by the hand to the beer pong table. Both girls were dressed in revealing Catholic school girl costumes. Their pleated skirts ended mid-thigh, mere inches above their white thigh-highs, and their white blouses were knotted under their breasts, exposing their tanned stomachs.

“Welcome, ladies,” Marcus grinned. “You know the rules?”

“Of course we know the rules,” the first girl smiled and twirled one of her pigtails around her finger.

Each side reset their cups, and the game was underway. The girls quickly fell behind, and Lucas thought it would be a quick game. Suddenly, right as Marcus began to lift his pong ball to take aim, he felt a slender pair of hands roaming up his chest from behind. He jumped and glanced over his shoulder to see a third girl dressed in a Catholic school girl outfit standing behind him and wrapping her arms around him to rub his chest.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” he exclaimed. “I mean, ordinarily, I would not object, but-”

He looked to the opposite end of the table and saw his opponents smirking, and Marcus knew they had made an arrangement for their friend to mess with them.

“This is totally against the rules,” Marcus insisted.

“I don’t recall ever hearing a rule that explicitly states no one in the audience may make contact with any of the players,” one of the girls shrugged innocently. “Do you want her to stop?”

“I – ughh,” Marcus shuddered as the girl behind him breathed hotly against his neck. 

“Come on, take your shot,” one of his opponents grinned. 

Marcus tossed the ball in his hand to the other end of the table, and it bounced off the rim of a cup. The two girls on the other end squealed and jumped in excitement. The four players took turns taking their shots, Lucas and Marcus doing their best to resist the distractions that the girls were sending their way including jumping up and down, unbuttoning their blouses so only the knot in the center kept them from falling away, blowing on the balls before shooting them, and of course their friend who continued to tease them when it was their turn to play.

Somehow, Lucas and Marcus managed to land their pong balls in a few more cups, but their female opponents were quickly pulling ahead. When Lucas and Marcus scored three times in a row, Marcus smugly told the girls that they weren’t affecting him and Lucas anymore.

“Your plan isn’t working anymore, ladies,” he grinned.

“Oh, really? I think you might change your mind,” one of their opponents smiled in feigned innocence.

Lucas chuckled and raised his pong ball to eye level. As he pulled his arm back and then extended it forward to throw the ball, the girl directly opposite him untied the knot in her blouse and pulled it open, exposing her tits to Lucas, Marcus, and anyone else who was watching. Lucas threw the ball far away from where he had intended, taken off guard and unable to look away from the set of boobs in front of him.

“Nice shot,” the girl laughed as she retied her shirt.

The girls were down to one final cup, and when the one across from Marcus tossed her pong ball and sunk it into the last remaining cup, both girls and many people in the crowd cheered.

“Dude, the girls here are wild,” Lucas said to Marcus as the two of them walked away from the beer pong table in defeat.

“One of the perks of coming to my parties,” Marcus chuckled.

Lucas went to the kitchen to grab himself another beer, and he found his eyes sweeping across the room again in search of Miranda. He had been keeping an eye out for her, looking forward to being able to talk to her again. But she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she wasn’t coming after all?

He shrugged to himself and started walking back toward the living room, when a girl that he recognized stepped in front of him. Lucas immediately recognized her as a girl he had hooked up with after a party not long ago, right before he had met Miranda in the dining hall.

“Lucas, it’s great to see you again,” she said, pressing herself against him. Lucas could smell the liquor on her breath. Hell, he could almost taste it in the air between their faces.

“You too. You’re looking great,” Lucas said, glancing down at her scantily clad body which was dressed as a nurse. Her tight white micromini skirt barely covered her private parts, ending several inches above her white thigh-highs. Her tight white top with a red cross to symbolize that she was in healthcare was nearly bursting from trying to maintain her ample cleavage.

“I figured since I’ll be a nurse someday, I might as well get some practice in,” she shrugged.

“If you look this hot, I may need to come see you for a check-up every now and then,” Lucas smirked.

She grinned slyly and then grabbed Lucas by the hand and pulled him toward the stairs. Lucas easily obliged, following her up and letting her pull him into a bedroom. He sloppily kissed her and she fumbled with the belt of his baseball player costume. She pushed the baseball pants and his underwear down his legs, and then Lucas placed his hands on her shoulders and led her down to her knees in front of him.

She wrapped her hand around his hard cock and began greedily licking it, getting the whole length wet and ready to slide into her mouth. Lucas weaved his hands into her hair to hold her hair back from her face and watched from above as she licked him like a lollypop and stroked her hand up and down.

“Put it in your mouth,” he said.

Lucas reached one hand down to pull her tight shirt up to her neck, letting her bare tits bounce free. He squeezed her nipples while she did as he told her and placed her lips around the tip of his cock. Lucas groaned and his eyes rolled back into his head as she slid his cock deeper into her wet mouth.

“That’s it… that’s a good girl,” Lucas sighed, tightening his grip in her hair. “Fuck yeah… just like that.”

She placed both hands on his thighs and began to bob on his cock handsfree. Lucas thrusted his hips to meet her pace, and he felt the tip of his hard cock hitting the back of her tight throat each time.

“Oh my god…” he groaned. “You’re so good at this… so fucking good at this…”

“Samantha,” she gasped when she briefly took Lucas out of her mouth and pumped him vigorously with her hand.

“Huh?” Lucas asked.

“Samantha,” she repeated. “That’s my name. Say my name.”

“Yeah, I know. I remembered,” Lucas lied.

Samantha took him back into her mouth in one swift movement and was right back to bobbing on his cock, tracing her tongue along the underside while she sucked as hard as she could.

“Fucking Christ, Samantha,” Lucas grunted. She started to speed up. “Yeah, fucking do that… Ugh, god, Samantha… fuck.”

Lucas’s eyes closed, and he forced them back open so he could look down at her as she slobbered all over his cock and balls, her big eyes looking up to meet his. He could feel himself getting close to the edge, and right before he came, Lucas placed both hands on the back of Samantha’s head to hold her tightly against him, her nose crushing into his pelvis, while he spent all his cum down her throat.

Lucas stopped thrusting and started to pant, his hands still on the back of Samantha’s head. She began to gag against him, his cock being held down her throat for too long, and Lucas quickly released her.

“Fuck,” Lucas sighed, slowly tucking himself back into his pants and fastening his belt.

Samantha remained on her knees, wiping her face dry.

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom opened, and they realized they had forgotten to lock it. Some random couple burst inside, their hands all over each other, clearly looking for a place to hook up.

“Oh, shit! Sorry,” the guy said when he saw the scene before him.

“Nah, it’s cool, man. We’re done with it,” Lucas panted with a wave of his hand. “It’s all yours.”

Samantha quickly pulled the top of her costume back down to conceal her breasts before hopping to her feet and following Lucas out of the bedroom to give the couple their privacy.

“Was it as good as you remembered?” Samantha purred into Lucas’s ear as she walked behind him down the stairs.

“It was pretty damn good,” Lucas grinned.

“Why don’t I give you my number, and you can call me some time,” Samantha suggested.

Lucas thought about objecting. He knew he wouldn’t actually call Samantha. She was fun to hook up with, but he had no interest in getting to know her. Still, what would he gain from being an asshole about it? Lucas accepted the paper that Samantha slipped him with her phone number written on it.

“Just know that I’m pretty busy, and-” Lucas stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the front door open, and in walked the person he had been hoping to see all evening.

“Oh, I know. Football keeps you busy. But whenever you have the free time-” Samantha was saying.

“Sure,” Lucas said quickly. “Hey, it was good seeing you, Samantha.”

Lucas walked off in the direction of the front door, silently wondering why this girl who he had had just one brief conversation with consumed his thoughts so much. There was something about her that drew Lucas to her, and he found himself happy that she showed up.

“Hey,” he smiled when he reached Miranda.

“Hey yourself,” she smiled in return flirtatiously.

“Why are you getting here so late?” Lucas asked.

“Have you been waiting on me or something?” Miranda quipped.

“No,” Lucas said quickly. “I just noticed you come in is all.”

“Uh huh,” Miranda smirked, not quite believing him. “It’s okay if you were looking for me.”

“I wasn’t,” Lucas replied nonchalantly. “But since you’re here, let me get you a drink.”

“I’d like that,” Miranda smiled and followed him to the kitchen.

Lucas led her to the kitchen and poured her a drink from the punchbowl. He watched her take a drink, and he couldn’t help but notice her skin glowing like it had that day in the dining hall, even though there was no sun. She was really damn pretty. Lucas wondered again what was getting into him when it came to this girl.

“So, are you going to ask me to dance or just keep staring at me?” Miranda asked abruptly.

“I – uh-” Lucas stammered, taken aback by her boldness as he had been when they first met.

“Come on,” Miranda laughed and pulled him into the living room. And Lucas let her.

Back in West Lafayette, Mike and El were pressed close together, dancing to the music themselves that reverberated through the speakers in the house. Mike was not a big dancer, but he knew trying to resist El was pointless; he would do anything she asked him to.

“Please dance with me,” El had begged and looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes and pouty lips. “Come on, Mikey, I love this song.”

Mike had laughed at her slurred begging but relented and let her pull him over to dance with her. The two of them had kept drinking steadily, and now as they swayed together, they were both using the other for some amount of support.

“You’re so fucking hot,” Mike rumbled next to her ear, his hot breath sending chills down her spine.

“Is that how you talk to a lady? I’m a princess,” El teased him.

“My apologies, Your Royal Highness,” Mike quipped back. “But when you look like that, I can’t keep my hands off you.”

He slid his hands down her back to grip her ass, and he held her hips tightly against his own. El squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck when Mike dipped his face into the crook of her neck and began nipping at her soft skin.

Just then, Mike and El heard someone clear their throat next to them, and they both looked up to see Will and Adam standing there. Mike reluctantly let go of El’s ass and slid his hands back up to her waist, and both Mike and El began to blush a light shade of red.

“I just wanted to let you guys know that we’re heading out,” Will said.

“Are you okay?” Mike asked.

“Yeah,” Will nodded. “This just isn’t really my scene.”

“Do you want us to walk back with you?” Mike offered.

“No, it’s cool,” Will shook his head. “You guys have fun, and I’ll just see you tomorrow.”

Will and Adam said good night to Mike and El and walked to the front door to leave the party. After a while of talking to Adam’s friend, the two of them had found a spot in the living room to sit and talk. They had both sipped their drinks throughout the night, becoming tipsy but not drunk. Eventually, Adam had noticed that Will’s look of discomfort was not going away, and Will had explained that he wanted to give it a chance, but he simply did not like loud, crowded parties like this. It had been Adam’s idea to leave the party and take a walk before heading back to campus.

“Did you have any fun at all?” Adam asked as the two of them walked down the sidewalk in the cool night air.

“Yeah, I did,” Will assured him. “It was okay, I just don’t think I’ll make a habit out of going to big parties like that.”

“You could’ve said something earlier, and we could’ve left,” Adam said, feeling guilty and not believing that Will had enjoyed himself.

“Seriously, it was okay,” Will insisted. “But thank you.”

“So, umm…” Adam began awkwardly, and Will waited for Adam to find the right words. “Do you want to go to your room or… my room or… both go to our own rooms?”

“Oh, uh, you can come to my room,” Will replied, blushing. “I think it was pretty obvious that Mike would be going to El’s room tonight.”

“Yeah, they definitely are not afraid to show affection in public, are they?” Adam laughed.

“They’re a bit more modest when they’re sober, but no,” Will chuckled. “Seeing them randomly making out or touching each other is pretty normal.”

“Well, good for them,” Adam said.

“I guess,” Will shrugged.

They walked in silence down the main street of town, passing the comic book store that Adam had shown Will the first week they met.

“We should come back here soon,” Will said pointing at the store that was closed for the night.

“Yeah, sure,” Adam agreed.

As they continued walking, Will felt Adam’s fingers graze against his own. He didn’t know what to do, so he chose to stare straight ahead and not look in Adam’s direction. Then, Adam linked his fingers with Will’s. The feeling was not new, but holding hands out in public was.

“Is this okay?” Adam asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s good,” Will nodded decidedly.

“Good,” Adam sighed with a smile. “So when we get back-”

Adam’s words were completely drowned out by the unnecessarily loud revving of a car that was about to speed by them. As the car sped by, Will’s heart froze when he saw a guy in the front passenger seat of the car lean out the window. Somehow, Will knew what was coming.

“FAGGOTS!” screamed the guy as he swung his arm forward, chucking a glass beer bottle out the window which shattered in the gutter.

“Hey, go FUCK yourself!” Adam screamed after the car that had sped by.

Adam looked as if he wanted to chase the car down, and Will was worried that Adam was considering doing just that.

“Stop, just… please,” Will said softly, urging Adam not to say or do anything else.

Will didn’t want Adam to put himself in danger by confronting anyone so hateful.

“I’m sorry. A-are you okay?” Adam asked.

He looked at Will, and Will could see the fury still burning in Adam’s eyes even though Adam had turned his attention to checking on Will. Was Will okay? Of course not. There was that word again. That word that had haunted him his entire life from his father and from bullies. He felt his stomach churn.

“Y-yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” Will mumbled. “Let’s just go.”

Adam decided not to press the issue any further, and the two of them continued walking toward campus. Still, Adam could not pretend that it didn’t sting when Will slipped his hang out of Adam’s and walked the rest of the way home with his hands deep in his pockets.

Dustin was doing his best to ignore Suzie’s presence at the party. Sure, things had gotten a bit better between them during their labs. They were able to work together and be cordial. But that did not mean that Dustin wanted to see her on the weekends when he was trying to have a fun time. And he certainly didn’t want to see her when he was getting to know a nice girl.

He continued glancing over Zoey’s shoulder to where Suzie sat with her new boyfriend, her arm resting casually along his thigh as she laughed at whatever stupid joke he was saying. Dustin knew Suzie was faking that laughter to make Dustin jealous. He knew her real laugh; he knew her real smile.

“Dude, can we play something more fun?” whined Chris on the other side of the living room.

There was a murmur among the crowd, as many people agreed that Jenga was getting old.

“Alright, alright,” Johnny relented. “What do you suggest?”

“Spin the bottle!” hollered one person.

“We are grown adults,” Johnny scolded. “That is a childish game.”

“Fine. Strip poker,” came the same person’s rebuttal, and Johnny rolled his eyes.

“How about Never Have I Ever,” suggested Sam, and there was a positive reception to the suggestion.

“Alright, everyone find a seat in the living room,” Johnny relented.

Everyone gathered around, and about twenty people ended up crowded in the living room with all ten fingers raised.

“Nothing is off limits,” Sam announced. “Every time you put a finger down, you have to drink.”

Johnny started the game since he was the host of the party, and they took turns in a clockwise circle. Some people went the more innocent route – never have I ever flown on an airplane, been to Europe, gotten in a car accident – while other people chose more exciting revelations – never have I ever been high, had sex with two different people within twenty-four hours, used sex toys with another person.

Dustin paid attention to which ones prompted Zoey to put a finger down, and he learned that she had flown, had been to Europe, and had been high. She did not put down a finger when they were asked about sex toys, but the shade of red that her face turned led Dustin to believe that maybe she was lying about that.

Then, it was Suzie’s turn.

“Never have I ever… cheated on somebody,” Suzie said, holding eye contact with Dustin the entire time.

Around the room, a few people actually did put a finger down and admit to it, but Dustin did not. He shook his head, annoyed. He stood by the fact that what happened between him and Suzie was not cheating. He ended things with Suzie before it would’ve gotten to that point.

Suzie’s expression confirmed that she felt otherwise, and she gave Dustin a disappointed look for lying. The game continued around the living room, and soon it was Dustin’s turn.

“Never have I ever intentionally flaunted somebody new to make an ex jealous,” he said with a little more venom than he had intended.

He saw anger flash in Suzie’s eyes, but she did not put down a finger. The game continued a little longer, and Dustin was dreading it getting back around to Suzie. Fortunately, somebody announced that they were out, all ten fingers were down, so the game ended before Suzie got another chance. 

Dustin took a seat on the couch where his roommate Sam and Sam’s friend Chris were sitting, and Zoey joined him. Out of the corner of his eye, Dustin could see Suzie making sideways glances at him from where she sat with her boyfriend. It seemed like Zoey was getting along well with Sam and Chris, so Dustin excused himself to use the bathroom.

He walked from the living room into the kitchen and turned down the hallway that could not be seen from the living room. He passed two bedrooms and found the bathroom at the end of the hallway. Dustin walked in and closed the door. He placed his hands on the sink and looked himself in the mirror.

“Get it together, Dustin. Stop letting her get under your skin,” he muttered to himself.

Tonight was supposed to be about forgetting Suzie, anyway. She had been doing her best to torment him ever since they were paired up as lab partners. He should’ve known her nice act that she had been displaying recently was too good to be true. But he couldn’t let Suzie being a bitch interfere with him getting to know someone new, and Zoey seemed great.

Dustin took one last look at himself in the mirror before turning to leave. When he opened the door, his stomach sank when he saw that he was face-to-face with Suzie. She was standing in the hallway directly in front of the bathroom, blocking Dustin from leaving.

“What do you want?” Dustin asked.

“What is your problem?” Suzie demanded.

“My problem? What is your problem?” Dustin returned the question.

“You’ve been staring at me all night,” Suzie said.

“How would you know that unless you were staring right back at me?” Dustin pointed out.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Suzie scoffed. “I looked because I could feel your eyes on me.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Dustin chuckled. “Now if you’ll excuse me-”

“Way to lie during the game, by the way,” Suzie interjected.

“I did not,” Dustin began louder than he meant to. He paused, grabbed Suzie by the wrist and pulled her into the bathroom and shut the door so they could hash this out privately. “I did not lie during the game. And that was fucked up of you trying to target me like that.”

“Like you didn’t target me with yours?” Suzie asked.

“Only because you did it first,” Dustin retorted. “And you want to talk about lying? I know for a fact you’re intentionally flaunting that guy around in front of me-”

“Believe it or not, Dustin, what I do with my boyfriend is in no way influenced by you,” Suzie insisted. “You know, I thought we could be adults about this whole situation.”

“Yeah, so did I. Guess that’s too much to ask of you,” Dustin spat.

“Of me? I have been so nice to you during labs,” Suzie said.

“Clearly I was right not to trust that,” Dustin said.

“You are never going to grow up,” Suzie shook her head.

“You know what, why are you even here? Who do you know at this party?” Dustin asked.

“My friend Anna from my biology class invited me,” Suzie replied shortly. “I’m allowed to be here just as much as you are.”

“Fine. But no more passive aggressive comments, no more looking over at me. I want you to act like I don’t exist,” Dustin said.

“Fine by me,” Suzie said.

“Good,” Dustin said.

He made a move to reach for the doorknob, but Suzie was standing with her back against the closed door. They stood for a moment looking at each other, both of their tempers still raised. Dustin didn’t know if it was the alcohol, the tension between them, or the fact that despite it all Suzie looked hot tonight, but before he knew it, Suzie lunged at him, and he did not stop her.

Their lips met for the first time in years and it was with a passion and heat that had never existed between them. Suzie was yanking the top of his Han Solo costume over his head while Dustin pulled Suzie’s already lowcut neckline down further to expose her bra. Suzie made quick work of Dustin’s belt and pants, and Dustin all but ripped her skirt and panties down her legs. 

Dustin grabbed Suzie by the hips and turned to set her on the sink before swiftly plunging his hard cock into her.

“Ah!” she cried out at the abruptness.

It was the first time he had ever been inside her, and she felt incredible. Dustin continued to pound into her and Suzie wrapped her legs around his waist. He pushed the cups of her bra to the side so her tits could be free, and he took one into his mouth while squeezing the other.

Dustin slammed himself into her over and over, harder than he had ever fucked anyone before. All the tension that he felt all semester, every time she had driven him crazy, he was taking it all out on her pussy. He looked Suzie in the eyes and saw how flushed her face was and how dazed her eyes were as she took it.

He gripped her hips tightly, not caring if his fingertips bruised her soft skin, and kind of hoping they would. He pulled her toward him to meet each thrust, plunging deep inside her each time.

“This is what you’ve wanted all semester, huh?” he asked in a ragged breath. “Why you’ve been such a bitch to me.”

“D-don’t f-flatter yourself,” Suzie repeated her earlier sentiment.

Dustin reached between them and began rubbing her clit, and Suzie shrieked in pleasure before biting the insides of her cheeks to quiet herself.

“Don’t want anyone to hear?” Dustin smirked.

“Sh-shut up,” Suzie whispered, closing her eyes from the pleasure of him circling her clit. “Just keep doing that.”

Dustin kept going, rubbing her clit to bring her closer and closer to the edge. Finally, Suzie dug her nails into his shoulders and clenched her teeth tightly to hold back her scream as she came. Dustin felt her pussy tighten around his cock, trying to squeeze the cum right out of him, but he held it in. As soon as Suzie finished, Dustin pulled out of her and aimed his cock at the toilet just in time.

He flushed the only proof of his orgasm and looked over at Suzie who was panting while redressing herself.

“Well,” Dustin sighed. “Guess you can’t say you’ve never cheated on anybody anymore.”

Suzie shot him a death glare before looking in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable again.

“I’ve got to say, when we dated back when we were fourteen, I thought a lot about what our first time would be like, and it was nothing like that,” Dustin said.

“Shut up,” Suzie demanded. “This was the first, last, and only time. Me pretending like you don’t exist starts right now.”

“Fine by me,” Dustin shrugged.

Suzie opened the bathroom door and left without another word. When she entered the living room, she saw that her boyfriend was nowhere to be seen. She walked over and sat next to her friend Anna.

“Where did Evan go?” she asked of her boyfriend.

“He was the most sober one here, so he drove Johnny on a beer run,” Anna explained.

Suzie saw Dustin enter the living room out of the corner of her eye but did not turn to look in his direction. He did not exist to her.

“It’s about time,” Sam said when Dustin rejoined him, Chris, and Zoey on the couch. “You feeling okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I was just feeling a bit nauseous,” Dustin shrugged.

“Well we were talking to Zoey. Did you know she’s been to Comic Con?” Sam asked.

“Three times,” Zoey added.

“Really? That’s sweet,” Dustin said.

He did his best to listen while Zoey talked about her trips to San Diego and all the different people she met while she was there. Dustin couldn’t help but notice when the front door opened and Johnny walked inside carrying more booze. Johnny was followed by Suzie’s boyfriend.

Suzie’s boyfriend walked over and greeted Suzie with a kiss on the forehead before sitting next to her, and it wasn’t long before Dustin started hearing her laugh again.

“You know what, guys, I’m sorry,” Dustin said suddenly. “I’m still not feeling very well. I’m going to head out.”

“Are you sure? I can walk back with you,” Sam offered.

“No, don’t worry about it. Stay and have fun,” Dustin said.

“Okay, well, here,” Zoey said as she pulled a pen from her purse. She ripped the corner off a napkin that was sitting on the coffee table and jotted down her phone number. “Take my number and give me a call some time.”

“Sure, okay,” Dustin mumbled and slipped it into his pocket. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You too,” Zoey said with a smile though she was confused by his sudden change in demeanor.

Dustin told them goodbye and made a point not to look in Suzie’s direction as he left the apartment. He was met with the fresh air on his face and he began walking back to campus. Tonight was a one-time thing. It happened because they got caught up in the heat of the moment, and the alcohol probably helped matters along as well. Once the weekend was over, Suzie would go right back to her fake niceness in class or just act like he doesn’t exist. Dustin wasn’t sure which one he would prefer.

In Terre Haute, as the night went on, Max almost forgot about the unsettling reaction she had had after starting the party out with trying ecstasy from Sarah’s sister. Once she had taken the edge off those effects, Max was able to relax and really enjoy herself. She spent hours with Abby, Robin, and Robin’s girlfriend Olivia in the backyard, passing a couple joints around and drinking several more cups of the mixed drink from the kitchen. It was Max’s first time experiencing something other than just being drunk, and she found she did like how smoking weed made her feel. 

Max was not sure what time it was when Sarah found her in the backyard and approached her with the guy Max had seen her making out with in the living room. Sarah said that she was leaving and would see Max in the morning. Shortly after, Robin and Olivia started talking about going home for the night.

“You guys go ahead. I’ll stay with Max and make sure she gets home alright,” Abby offered.

Max gave Robin a hug and waved Olivia goodbye, and then Max and Abby were left in the backyard.

“How much longer did you want to stick around here?” Abby asked.

“We can head out,” Max shrugged.

It wasn’t until they started walking from the frat house back to campus that Max realized how messed up she was. Standing in one spot in the backyard had been one thing, but trying to walk a straight line was proving impossible.

Finally, Max and Abby made it back to Max’s dorm room. To Max’s surprise, Abby followed her inside saying that she was going to make sure Max was okay. Max sat on her bed while Abby took a cup and went to the drinking fountain down the hall to fill it with water.

“Here you go,” Abby said when she returned to the room and handed Max the cup of water.

Then Abby made sure the small trashcan in Max’s room had a trashbag in it and placed it next to Max’s bed.

“I don’t puke,” Max insisted.

“You tried new things tonight. You just want to be prepared for when you come down from it all,” Abby explained, and Max shrugged. “Did you end up having fun though?”

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun,” Max replied. “I forgot all about the bullshit going on in my life.”

Abby offered her a sympathetic smile and took a seat beside her on the bed.

“That really sucks about your friend,” Abby said.

“It’s whatever,” Max shrugged. “I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that she would pick her boyfriend over me.”

“What exactly happened?” Abby asked.

“I went to see her at Purdue. We got to talking about when she and her boyfriend were broken up, and I assumed that he had told her everything about the girl he was seeing while they were broken up,” Max explained. “So I mentioned Mike having sex with the girl he was seeing, and El told me that didn’t happen. She confronted Mike about it, and it turned out to be a misunderstanding and I got it wrong. I apologized for it, but in true Mike form, he refused to forgive me. So El said she wanted to put distance between herself and me. I don’t know… I do miss her, but… I don’t know.”

“It sounds like she overreacted,” Abby said. “You were trying to be a good friend and tell her something about her boyfriend that she had the right to know.”

“Exactly,” Max agreed. “But neither of them see it that way. Mike has it in his head that I’m out to sabotage their relationship, and that’s just not the case.”

“Have you tried talking to either of them since?” Abby asked.

“El tried calling me for a while, but I wasn’t ready to talk to her,” Max replied. “She has stopped calling. I miss her a lot, but I don’t know if it’s worth trying to fix things, knowing she’ll just toss me to the side for Mike at any given point.”

“Yeah, that’s a tough one. I don’t know her very well at all, but she never seemed like all that great of a friend to you,” Abby said gently. “I know you’ve gotten mad at me for saying that before.”

“Yeah, but maybe you have a point,” Max sighed.

Abby offered another sympathetic smile.

“You said you also had a breakup?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Max sighed. “Lucas and I had been dating off and on since we were thirteen. He was my first kiss, my first love, I lost my virginity to him. We both really cared about each other but didn’t want to tie ourselves down so young.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Abby said.

“It was. Then this past February, we decided to give a committed relationship a chance,” Max continued. “So we did that for about six months, but then we went to different colleges.”

“I think I see where this is going,” Abby said.

“This is all new,” Max said. “I wanted to make sure both Lucas and I were free to explore and have the full college experience. I suggested we take the casual route with our relationship again, but he wanted no part in that. So it ended.”

“At least you were honest with him about what you wanted,” Abby said. “You could’ve messed around behind his back, but you didn’t. The fact that he wouldn’t listen and take your needs and wants into consideration is on him, not you.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to lose him altogether,” Max said.

“You’re still so young,” Abby pointed out. “Who says you lost him? Focus on you, go out and explore and have that experience you were looking for. If life brings you back around to Lucas, then great.”

“Did you ever reconnect with your ex?” Max asked.

She remembered that the first time she met Abby, Abby shared that she had dated a guy named Thomas throughout high school. After briefly trying a long-distance relationship when Abby and Thomas had gone to different colleges, Abby had broken things off with him for essentially the same reasons Max was looking for.

“No, but that’s me,” Abby shrugged. “Besides, I’m not done seeing what’s out there, yet.”

“I haven’t really even started,” Max admitted. “I’ve danced with guys at parties, but I haven’t let myself really get out there.”

“Maybe I can help you with that,” Abby suggested, and Max couldn’t quite place her tone, but she thought she detected a bit of flirting in it.

“How so?” Max asked, and she had an inkling as to where Abby was going with this that caused her throat to feel as if it were closing up.

Abby grinned and ran her fingers through Max’s long red hair, lightly grazing over the tangles from all the teasing and hairspray. Max felt goosebumps cover her skin as she realized Abby’s face was inching closer to hers, but she did not pull away.

Before Max knew it, Abby’s lips were on hers. They were soft and tasted of the liquor they had both drank all night. Max mewled when Abby pulled back and then opened her eyes to see Abby grinning at her.

“You said you wanted new experiences,” Abby said.

Max reached forward and pulled Abby’s lips back to her own, tangling her fingers in Abby’s blonde hair. She laid back against her pillows as Abby leaned forward against her. As Abby’s fingers wove through her red hair and Abby trailed her kisses down to Max’s collarbone, all Max could think about was how amazing it was that this did not feel wrong at all.

Max felt Abby’s hand between her legs as Abby started rubbing her pussy overtop of her clothes. Abby slipped her fingers into the waistband of the shorts and leggings Max was wearing and slid them down her legs until Max was able to kick them off. Then Abby pulled down Max’s panties and tossed them to the side before discarding her own.

Abby pushed apart Max’s thighs and buried her face into Max’s center. Max arched her back, immediately overcome with pleasure. She felt Abby’s thin fingers gripping at her inner thighs to hold them apart while Abby ravaged her pussy, swirling her tongue around her clit and moving her tongue in patterns Max had never felt before.

Max closed her eyes, her head spinning from everything she had consumed at the party and the overwhelming sensation of Abby licking her as if she had known every inch of her for years.

While she ate Max out, Abby’s own pussy was throbbing. She moved one hand from Max’s thigh and began to rub her own pussy while Max continued to writhe underneath her. Abby slid two fingers into her own core and pressed her thumb against her clit, fingering herself while her tongue picked up speed on Max.

Max was moaning and squealing in pleasure; she had never felt anyone touch her quite like this before. She could feel her orgasm building, and soon, her toes started to curl as Abby’s tongue relentlessly flicked over her clit while Abby sucked on it. Max felt the warm gush of her fluids as she came, and Abby continued to fingerfuck herself, bringing herself to her own orgasm while she lapped up Max’s.

When they had both finished, Abby crawled up to lay next to Max.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Max panted.

“Sure,” Abby shrugged and pulled the blankets up over both of them. “I hope that was able to help with your little problem.”

Max actually found herself speechless, unable to respond to Abby’s banter. Instead, she turned off the light and let herself fall asleep, her head still spinning from all the events of the night.

Will and Adam had made it back to campus. They did not talk much for the remainder of the walk after the altercation with the asshole that had driven by them. As they approached Will’s dorm hall, Adam began to wonder if he should offer to go back to his own room instead of coming to Will’s, but Will had made no indication that Adam was not still welcome. So, the two of them walked up to Will’s room and went inside.

Will wordlessly tossed his Batman costume to the side and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt without looking over at Adam. Adam silently followed suit and changed out of his costume and into the jeans and t-shirt that he had been wearing when he arrived at Will’s room before getting ready for the party.

“So… do you want to talk about it?” Adam asked carefully.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Will said, sounding defeated.

“Will-”

“What? People are assholes. They’re always going to be assholes. Who were we hurting by walking down the street?” Will demanded.

“Nobody,” Adam replied.

“Exactly. But someone still went out of their way to… do that,” Will said disgustedly.

“I know,” Adam said gently. “It sucks that there are people like that out there.”

“And then you almost made the situation worse,” Will said.

“What are you talking about?” Adam asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

“Screaming after them like that?” Will reminded him.

“You mean standing up for us?” Adam countered. “I don’t see why that part makes you upset.”

“Because what if they would’ve stopped? Turned around? Gotten out of the car?” Will asked.

Adam froze when he realized Will wasn’t upset with him for standing up for them; Will was worried that Adam nearly put himself in danger.

“Will, it was just instinct,” Adam said softly. “When someone insults me or someone I care about, I react.”

“Yeah, but if you react to the wrong person, you could get yourself hurt,” Will said. “I’ve dealt with bullies my whole life. I know how it works.”

“Look, I’m sorry for worrying you,” Adam said.

“Just promise that you’ll leave it alone if… if something like that happens again,” Will said.

“I promise,” Adam said. “And I hate to tell you this, but it is not a matter of ‘if’ it happens again, but ‘when.’”

“Why are people so messed up?” Will sighed.

“I don’t know. This is one of the reasons I told you a goal of mine is to move to a big city after college,” Adam explained. “More acceptance, less small-minded mentality. Of course, you can’t escape it altogether.”

“I’ve heard that word my whole life, and it still stung just as much tonight as it did every single time,” Will said.

“Yeah, it does. But as cheesy as it sounds, when someone goes out of their way to hurt you like that, it says more about them than you,” Adam said.

“That sounds like something my mom would say,” Will chuckled.

“Well it’s true,” Adam said. “You just have to remember that your friends and family – the people who matter – love you for who you are. It’s hard to remember that sometimes because I feel like the first natural instinct is to stand up for yourself, but you can’t let some asshole make you think badly of yourself.”

“I know. This is just all still new to me. The whole public aspect,” Will said.

“I know it is, and you’re handling everything great so far,” Adam encouraged him.

“Thanks. I’m still a little worried about telling the rest of my friends and my mom and brother at Thanksgiving, but I do feel a bit better knowing Mike and El will be there,” Will said.

“You’ll do great,” Adam smiled.

“I hope so,” Will said. “Also, thanks for talking to me about this tonight.”

“Of course. I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Adam said. “It is really late, though. I should head back to my room.”

“Don’t you want to stay here tonight?” Will asked, furrowing his brow.

“Uh, do you want me to?” Adam asked.

“I thought that was the point of you coming back with me,” Will said.

“I didn’t want to assume anything,” Adam replied. “Are you sure you want me to?”

Will and Adam had spent long hours in each other’s rooms, but neither had actually spent the night with the other before.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Will said definitively.

“Okay,” Adam smiled.

Will gave Adam a pair of pajama pants to sleep in so he could change out of his jeans. Then the two of them crawled into Will’s bed. Will felt his heart fluttering in his chest at the idea of sleeping all night with Adam right next to him. It may not have seemed like a big deal, but to Will it was.

“Good night,” Adam said from behind Will.

Will turned his head and Adam was there to connect their lips with a good night kiss.

“Good night,” Will replied.

Adam draped an arm over Will’s waist, and the two of them fell into a peaceful sleep together for the first time.

While Will and Adam were walking home, Mike and El were drunkenly dancing and kissing, lost in their own world. Mike’s hands roamed from El’s waist to the soft skin of her back to her ass to the long locks of red hair that he stroked, forgetting sometimes that it was a wig.

“I can’t wait to rip this costume off you,” Mike whispered into El’s ear, shooting chills down her spine.

“Let’s go,” El whimpered.

Mike did not need to be told twice. He took El by the hand and went with her to tell Bethany that they were leaving for the night, then the two of them left the house and headed back to campus.

The fifteen-minute walk seemed to be taking significantly longer on the way back than it had on the way to the party. El’s stumbling in her green high heels did not help matters. With a little over five minutes left on their walk home, Mike stopped to offer to carry El.

“Do you want me to carry you the rest of the way?” he asked.

“If you would be so kind,” El grinned, her eyes drooping.

“Anything for you, Princess,” Mike teased.

He knelt down so El could get on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Giving El a piggyback ride and not having to stop every few steps due to her stumbling made the rest of the walk go much quicker, and soon, they arrived at El’s dorm room.

The second they were inside with the door closed and locked behind them, Mike had El pushed against the wall, kissing her passionately and bruising her already swollen lips while he pulled the red wig off her head. He unfastened the purple clamshell bra and slid down the green pencil skirt while El sloppily pulled his clothes off of him. Then, Mike pulled her to the bed.

As soon as El’s back hit the mattress and her head hit the pillow, it was all she could do not to succumb to the sleep that tried to overtake her as a result of how late it was and how much she had drunk.

Mike was on top of her, kissing her neck and grinding his hard cock between her legs. He felt her gradually stop responding to his touches, and when he raised his head to look at her, he saw that El’s eyes were closed and her head had lolled to the side as it rested on her pillow.

“El?” Mike said gently, shaking her shoulders lightly.

El’s eyes snapped back open, blinking rapidly.

“I’m okay,” she slurred groggily. “Keep going, Mike.”

He leaned back in to kiss her on the lips, and El reciprocated for a few seconds before her lips fell limp against his. She must have felt Mike pull away because she forced her eyes open again.

“Why you stopping?” she slurred.

“El, we can just go to sleep,” Mike said.

“I’m not that tired,” El insisted as she tried to keep her eyes open.

“Babe, you’re literally falling asleep on me,” Mike chuckled.

“Am not. See?” El slurred before reaching down and lazily rubbing Mike’s cock up and down.

Mike closed his eyes in a brief moment of ecstasy as El’s fingers stroked his erection, but he knew it wasn’t right.

“See? Now rock my world, baby,” El slurred as she tried to stifle a yawn.

“Tomorrow,” Mike said with an amused smile.

“Mikey, I told you, I’m not too tired,” El mumbled groggily.

“I know, but I am,” Mike lied. “Let’s just wait until tomorrow.”

“Your loss,” El shrugged, not even trying to keep her eyes open anymore.

Mike chuckled and shook his head before kissing her forehead and standing from the bed. He did his best to think of anything that would kill his boner while he looked around the room for clothes for the two of them to sleep in. He found a t-shirt of his that El had stolen to sleep in draped over her desk chair. Mike grabbed the t-shirt and slipped it over El’s head, pulling her arms through the arm holes and pulling the hem down to where it reached her hips. He decided to sleep in just his boxers, and he rejoined El in her bed.

As soon as Mike laid down next to her, El flung one leg over his legs and one arm over his chest, holding onto him like a koala bear.

“Night, Mike,” she mumbled softly against his chest, and Mike swore for a moment that it was the same small voice that had said those exact words all those years ago on the first night they met.

“Good night, baby. I love you,” Mike whispered and kissed the top of her head, squeezing her against himself.

“Love… you…” El sighed, practically asleep already.

Mike rubbed El’s back as she slept on him, listening to the sound of her breathing and feeling her heart beat against his own chest. It was his favorite way to end a night, and eventually he drifted off to sleep next to her.

After hours of drinking, dancing, and talking, Miranda told Lucas it was time for her to leave the party and head back to her room.

“Let me walk with you since we live in the same building,” Lucas offered.

They did live in the same building, and it was the gentlemanly thing to do, but the truth was Lucas did not want to be finished talking to Miranda tonight. He had not realized how much time had passed. 

“This isn’t some weird way for you to find out my room number and stalk me or anything, is it?” Miranda teased.

The long-standing joke and long-term nickname of “stalker” popped into Lucas’s mind, but he laughed it off.

“Of course not. I’m no stalker. I’m just trying to offer a pretty lady a safe walk home,” Lucas said.

“Very well,” Miranda smiled.

The two of them left the party together and set off into the cold, dark night. As they walked, they talked about the most recent football game. It turned out that Miranda had seen Lucas watching her after all.

“I told you I would be looking out for you during the game,” Lucas reminded her.

“I look out for you, too,” Miranda admitted.

“What, as I sit on the bench?” Lucas chuckled.

“As you practice with everyone,” Miranda said. “There is no way you won’t be starting next year.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Lucas said.

They reached their dorm building, and Lucas followed Miranda up to one of the floors that he knew was an all-female floor. They walked down the hallway until Miranda stopped outside of a door.

“This is mine. Thanks for walking back with me. Hopefully I’ll see you around,” she said politely.

Lucas’s mouth dropped open slightly as he looked from the closed door and back to Miranda. Miranda’s lips curled into an amused grin and she crossed her arms over her chest.

“What’s the matter? Were you expecting something more when we got here?” she asked.

“What? No, of course not,” Lucas said quickly.

“Sure you weren’t,” Miranda chuckled. “I know you’ve been hooking up with cheerleaders, and that is not how this is going to go. If you want a shot with me, you need to do it the right way and take me out, Lucas Sinclair.”

“I did have a really nice time with you tonight,” Lucas said.

“I had a nice time with you, too,” Miranda replied.

“I’m just not really looking for a relationship right now,” Lucas admitted.

“And I’m just not really looking for a hookup right now,” Miranda said. “Good night, Lucas.”

Miranda smiled sweetly before unlocking her door, going inside, and closing it. Lucas stared at the closed door, bewildered. After everything with Max, he was enjoying being single. But, what he really wanted long-term from a girl, he knew he wouldn’t get from Max. He wasn’t looking for a relationship, but Miranda was taking him completely off guard. Lucas was enjoying getting to know her, no matter how brief. There was something about her that kept her present in his mind and made him want to know more about her. Was he willing to let that end before it could really even begin all because she wanted a higher level of respect than the other girls he had recently associated with?

Lucas took a deep breath and knocked on her door. To his surprise, the door opened immediately and Miranda was looking back at him with the same sweet smile on her face.

“Yes?” she asked.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Lucas asked.

“I don’t have any plans,” Miranda replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Would you like to go out with me? We could get lunch, go for a walk and talk, maybe see a movie if there’s anything good playing,” Lucas suggested.

“Sudden change of heart?” Miranda smiled.

“I’ll be here tomorrow at one,” Lucas grinned in return.

“I can’t wait,” Miranda said. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Lucas replied.

Miranda closed the door again, and Lucas walked away with a smile on his face, wondering what tomorrow would hold for him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back! Thank you all for the well wishes. I fully recovered from Covid after about 2 weeks, though some of the nastier symptoms lingered for a third week. I’m sorry it has been so long since my last update. I have no excuse for you other than I have just been so busy with work, and I’ve been having a rough time dealing with my sister’s birthday who passed away last spring. The motivation just hasn’t been there. But, I’m back, and I have this for you. I hope you like it. Please remember to leave me a review!

The next morning, Max could feel her head pounding before she even opened her eyes. Her pulse was throbbing in her temples, and she was certain that the moment she opened her eyes, she would be blinded by any amount of sunlight sneaking through the blinds. So, she avoided opening her eyes for as long as possible.

Last night was insane. Max had never been high before, and she had never felt so carefree. She remembered dancing, going outside for some air, smoking weed, drinking, smoking some more weed, and drinking even more. The night had been a blast. But Max felt like something more happened…

Just then, she felt someone shift next to her in bed, and she felt the unmistakable warmth of another person’s body heat against her left side. That’s when the events of what happened after the party came crashing back to her. Abby.

She and Abby hooked up last night. Well, she and Abby kissed last night, and then Abby proceeded to eat her out. Max never actually touched anything or reciprocated in any way. How could she have? Max had never touched a vagina other than her own, and the thought of putting her mouth on one had certainly never crossed her mind. It was gross. It was wrong.

Wasn’t it?

Max found her mind repeating over and over how it felt to have Abby going down on her. Abby made moves with her tongue that nobody else ever had. Not Lucas, not any other guy she had been with. Had Abby been with a lot of girls? Was she a lesbian? Was that why she never reconnected with her ex-boyfriend Thomas? Those details didn’t matter as much to Max as the fact that letting Abby do what she did didn’t actually feel gross or wrong. It felt natural. What did that mean?

Next to her, somebody moved again. Max slowly opened her eyes just enough of a crack to look to her side and confirm that the person laying next to her was Abby. Abby was still passed out, her blonde hair covering the pillow in a tangled mess. With Max’s eyes slightly opened and seeing more than the darkness of the insides of her eyelids, Max’s head began to spin. Her stomach began to churn, and Max was immediately aware that she needed to get to a toilet.

Max tossed the blankets off of herself and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus her vision in front of her, and her eyes locked on the small trashcan that Abby had placed next to her bed last night. Max grabbed it just in time to bury her head in it as the remnants of last night came hurling out of her body.

She tried to be as quiet as possible, but it was no use. Soon, Abby was stirring next to her, awakening to the sound of Max retching next to her and the putrid smell that was filling the room. Abby sat up and pulled Max’s hair back into a ponytail as she gagged over the trashcan.

“Thank you,” Max mumbled when she finally stopped puking.

“Don’t mention it,” Abby shrugged. “That’s probably just the start of it, so just stay in bed and take it easy today. I’ll refill your water cup before I leave.”

Max watched as Abby straightened her clothing and used Max’s mirror to pull her own hair into a ponytail to look halfway presentable.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had to do the walk of shame,” Abby chuckled. “Normally, they’re leaving my place.”

“About that… last night…” Max said weakly.

“What about it?” Abby asked, turning to face the bed where Max lay looking miserable.

“With everything that happened. You… you remember what happened, right?” Max asked.

“Of course I remember,” Abby smirked.

“So, you… like… girls?” Max asked slowly, knowing she would have phrased it more eloquently if her head did not feel like it was about to explode.

“I like women,” Abby stated. “And if last night is any indication, then so do you.”

Max furrowed her brow. She definitely liked what Abby made her feel last night, but did she actually like women?

“So, you’re a lesbian?” Max asked.

“I’m bisexual,” Abby clarified. “I like men and women both.”

“Oh,” Max said.

She clutched her head with a grimace as it continued to throb. Abby sighed and dug into her purse, pulling out a bottle of Tylenol and tossing it to Max.

“Drink lots of water, and eat something when you feel like you won’t throw it back up,” Abby instructed. “I’ll see you around.”

With that, Abby left, leaving Max to tend to her hangover and the confusion of what last night meant for her.

That afternoon, two hundred fifty miles away, Lucas arrived at Miranda’s door to go on the date they had agreed upon the previous night. He wasn’t quite sure why he decided to take her on a date. He still was not looking for a new relationship after Max, and he knew there were plenty of other girls he could hook up with without putting in the effort Miranda was seemingly going to make him put in. But still, he found her intriguing.

Miranda answered the door wearing jeans and a blue sweater, neutral makeup, and her curly hair down over her shoulders. Lucas instantly thought she was the type of girl to look pretty with little effort.

“You look nice,” he said.

“Thanks,” Miranda smiled. “So what do you have planned for us today?”

“I hope you’re hungry, because I’m starving, and I was thinking we could start the day with brunch,” Lucas replied.

“It’s one o’clock in the afternoon. I’m pretty sure they just call it lunch at this point,” Miranda smirked.

“Nah, there’s a place on Fourth that serves brunch until two,” Lucas shook his head. “I could go for some scrambled eggs and French toast.”

“Let’s do it,” Miranda agreed.

They left her dorm and walked off campus. The restaurant was a little more than a ten-minute walk, and when they arrived, it was not too busy. After being seated, Lucas and Miranda went up to the brunch buffet and returned moments later with their plates. Lucas had two pieces of French toast and loaded the rest of his plate with scrambled eggs, while Miranda had about half the amount of eggs, some bacon, and a dish of fruit.

“If only we were old enough for the bottomless mimosas,” Miranda grinned as she glanced at the advertisement laying on their table.

“Did you not drink enough last night?” Lucas chuckled.

“I’m just saying, for the full authentic brunch experience,” Miranda quipped before taking a bite of her cantaloupe.

“You girls and your ‘full experience’ crap,” Lucas breathed while shaking his head.

“What?” Miranda asked, furrowing her brow.

“Nothing,” Lucas said quickly. “How’s your food?”

“It’s good,” Miranda replied. “I’ve never been here before.”

“I’ve been a few times,” Lucas said.

“Take a lot of girls on brunch dates, do you?” Miranda smirked.

“No, sometimes the morning after a game I come here with some of the guys,” Lucas replied.

“Oh, so you take a lot of guys on brunch dates, then,” Miranda laughed.

“Shut up,” Lucas laughed along with her. “I told you, I haven’t really been looking for a relationship, so I don’t exactly go on dates.”

“Well then I must be special,” Miranda said.

“Must be,” Lucas shrugged.

The two of them ate in silence for a bit, both enjoying the food. Lucas was pleased that even though brunch was over at two, the food still tasted fresh and not like it was end-of-day food.

“I’ve got to hand it to you, this place was a good decision,” Miranda said, placing her napkin over her empty plate.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Lucas said. “Do you want to see what movies are playing this afternoon?”

“I actually kind of liked your idea of taking a walk and just talking,” Miranda said, repeated what Lucas had recommended last night. “It’s a beautiful day out.”

“Okay,” Lucas nodded.

He paid for their food, and then the two of them left the restaurant. There was a city park not far from campus, and they decided to walk through the park rather than walk around campus. The fallen colored leaves were blowing lightly in the fall breeze, but the sun was shining so it was not too chilly. It was the perfect fall day.

As they walked, they talked about their classes and their friends and families. Lucas learned that Miranda was studying nursing. His mind briefly flashed back to the girl Samantha he had hooked up with who had been wearing a nurse costume, and he couldn’t help but wonder how Miranda would look in the same thing. He also learned she had four older brothers and that she was from a close-knit family.

“They’re very protective of me,” Miranda said. “I definitely never had to worry about being picked on in school.”

“I bet that made dating fun for you, too,” Lucas chuckled.

“My dad died when I was nine, so all four of them have kind of taken on that protective male role in my life,” Miranda explained. “But, yeah, they’ve definitely scared away a boy or two.”

Lucas laughed along with her.

“Well I’m sorry to hear about your dad,” he added.

“Thank you,” Miranda said. “What about you? Any brothers or sisters?”

“I have a younger sister named Erica. I wouldn’t say we’re super close, but she is my little sister, and I’d have no problem messing someone up that hurts her. So I know where your brothers are coming from,” Lucas said.

They stopped at a bench and decided to sit for a while.

“So, I’ve got to ask, why are you so against dating?” Miranda asked, and Lucas let out a long sigh.

“It’s not that I’m against dating as a whole,” he said. “It’s just that right now hasn’t seemed like the best time for me.”

“Why not?” Miranda asked.

“I just got out of a long, complicated relationship not too long ago,” Lucas explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Miranda said, creasing her forehead in concern.

“It’s whatever,” Lucas shrugged. “It’s not like it was the most stable relationship anyway, but we definitely had something real, you know?”

“How long were you together?” Miranda asked.

“Off and on for about five years,” Lucas replied.

“Wow, that’s a long time,” Miranda said, widening her eyes. “I was expecting maybe a year or two.”

“No, she and I had been with each other for a long time,” Lucas said. “We’ve been through everything together… a lot more than we should’ve been at our age. But, I was there for her when her brother died and when things would get bad with her piece-of-shit stepdad. We saw each other through a lot, and we had a really good friendship underneath everything.”

“So, what happened?” Miranda asked gently.

“We were young, and what it comes down to is that she was still a teenage girl. She broke up with me more times than I kept track of during high school,” Lucas explained. “She always came back. I knew she loved me, but she didn’t want to tie herself down so young. We decided back in February to stop the on-and-off bullshit and give a real, committed relationship a shot.”

“February of this year?” Miranda asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

“Yeah, clearly that didn’t last too long,” Lucas chuckled grimly. “She said since we’re at different colleges, we’re both around temptation and that it would be better to go back to being casual with each other so we could take the chance to see what’s out there and live the ‘college experience.’ I told her I didn’t want that; we were either all in or we were over. So, we were over.”

“So now that you’re free, you’re kind of enjoying the single life,” Miranda deduced.

“Pretty much,” Lucas said. “I just didn’t want to jump from that into something serious too quick.”

“That makes sense,” Miranda nodded. “Well I’m sorry you went through that with her.”

“Thanks,” Lucas said. “It’s fine, though. I’m over it. It’s been refreshing not having to worry about her drama or whatever. This last time really was the last straw, and we haven’t spoken since.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Miranda said.

“I think it might be,” Lucas agreed.

After another hour, the two of them started walking back toward campus. Miranda said she had some homework to finish up that was due the next day.

“Thanks for taking me out today. I had a lot of fun,” she said when they reached her room.

“Good, I’m glad,” Lucas said.

“Hopefully it was okay for being your first date in a long time, too,” Miranda smiled.

“Definitely,” Lucas chuckled. “I wasn’t expecting to go on a date any time soon, but since I did, I’m glad it was with you.”

Miranda smiled and leaned up on her tiptoes to press a kiss against Lucas’s cheek.

“Call me sometime if you decide you want to go on a second date,” she grinned.

“I think I will,” Lucas replied.

Miranda went inside, and Lucas headed back to his dorm. He entered it to find his roommate gone, and Lucas decided to call Mike and talk to him about everything going on with Miranda.

“Hello?” came Mike’s voice after a couple rings.

“Hey, it’s Lucas,” Lucas said. “Are you busy right now?”

“No, Will and I were just hanging out,” Mike replied. He had come back to his and Will’s room earlier in the afternoon to give El time to write a paper she had been putting off. Adam had been gone before Mike returned.

“Oh, cool. Tell Will ‘hi’ for me. I haven’t talked to him in a while,” Lucas said.

“Are you coming home for Thanksgiving?” Mike asked.

“I’ll be home that Wednesday night, and I’ll have to leave Thursday evening after dinner. We have practice Friday and a game Saturday, and I don’t want to deal with Black Friday traffic Friday morning,” Lucas replied.

“Sweet. We’ll definitely all get together while you’re home,” Mike said.

“For sure. But, that’s actually not what I called to talk about,” Lucas said.

“What’s up?” Mike asked.

“I, uh, just got back from a date,” Lucas said.

“A date?” Mike repeated.

“Yeah,” Lucas confirmed.

“And? Do you like her? What’s she like?” Mike asked after pausing for a moment when Lucas did not continue.

“She’s awesome. Her name is Miranda. She’s a nursing major, she’s gorgeous, she’s confident and not making it easy for me, which is actually pretty sexy,” Lucas explained.

“I didn’t know how soon you’d be open to dating again after everything happened with – you know – your last girlfriend,” Mike said.

“I wasn’t planning on this happening,” Lucas said. “Trust me, I was having a good time being single and not worrying about a girlfriend. And I mean, Miranda isn’t my girlfriend. We’re a long way from that. But…”

“But you want to see her again?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Lucas admitted.

“For another date? Do you see this going somewhere or are you just trying to hook up with her and stay single?” Mike asked.

“I don’t think I’m ready for another girlfriend, but I do like being around her,” Lucas replied. “What would you do if you were me?”

“I don’t know, man,” Mike sighed. “Whatever makes you happy, as cheesy as that sounds.”

“Cheesy as hell,” Lucas laughed. “Miranda knows where my head is at with relationships right now, so I don’t think there’ll be much pressure from her about making a relationship official.”

“Are you planning on seeing only her, though? Or any other girls too?” Mike asked.

“I don’t know,” Lucas shrugged. “I haven’t really thought that far.”

“Well, just a word of warning. Miranda might know what you’re feeling about not being ready to date right now, but even the nicest girls are only patient for so long before they want a commitment from you,” Mike said.

“Yeah, I know what you’re talking about,” Lucas said. “I don’t think this will be anything like the you-Lindsey-El fiasco.”

“Just be careful,” Mike said. “I am happy for you, though.”

“Thanks,” Lucas smiled. “Well, hey, I’ll see you at Thanksgiving.”

“Okay, cool,” Mike said. “Bye Lucas.”

“Bye,” Lucas replied.

“Lucas went on a date?” Will asked when Mike hung up the phone, inferring that much from Mike’s end of the conversation.

“Yeah, some girl named Miranda,” Mike nodded. “It sounds like he likes her, but he’s conflicted because he doesn’t want another relationship this soon after Max. I get that.”

“Is he going out with her again?” Will asked.

“He doesn’t know for sure, but I think he will,” Mike replied. “I just told him to be careful. Even if she understands where he’s coming from, eventually if they want different things, she’s only going to be patient and understanding for so long.”

Will nodded; he knew Mike was right and had experienced that himself not long ago.

“Well, I guess in the meantime we should just be happy that he’s happy,” Will said.

“Definitely,” Mike agreed. “He also said he’ll be home for Thanksgiving but only Wednesday night until Thursday night.”

“Maybe we can all get together Wednesday night, then, since everyone will have family stuff on Thursday,” Will suggested, and Mike nodded.

“Well, I need to go to the library for a few hours. Do you want to come?” Mike asked.

“No, I’ll stay here. I want to get some laundry done today,” Will replied.

After Mike left, Will was alone in the room. He stared at the assignment that was laid out on his desk but felt no motivation to work on it. His mind kept drifting to everything that had happened last night. Will didn’t tell Mike about the jerks who yelled at him and Adam as they were walking home. He also didn’t tell Mike about his and Adam’s argument or that Adam spent the night for the first time. Will knew he had Mike and El’s support, which had been making everything easier, until last night happened. He couldn’t explain why, but he almost felt a sense of shame or embarrassment at the idea of telling Mike or El about what those guys in that car did. It didn’t make sense; it wasn’t Will’s fault. But still, he didn’t want to relive it.

Was reliving it inevitable? Will didn’t want to have to hide his true self for the rest of his life. He wanted to be able to live openly and show affection to the person he was with just like his friends can. But would that open him up to a lifetime of mockery? People shouting slurs at him? Discrimination? Would things ever just feel normal?

Will was jolted out of his thoughts when the phone started to ring. He hurried over to answer it and was comforted to hear his mom’s voice on the line.

“Hi honey, how is your weekend going?” Joyce asked cheerfully.

“It’s okay,” Will shrugged. “I went to a Halloween party with some friends last night, and I’m just working on schoolwork today.”

“That sounds fun. Were Mike and El with you?” Joyce asked.

“Yeah. It was Mike and El and… a friend from one of my classes,” Will replied.

“That’s great, honey. I’m glad you’re branching out,” Joyce said. “I did want to call to confirm your plans for Thanksgiving.”

“Mom, that’s like, three weeks away,” Will said.

“I know. I want to start planning the grocery list, and I need to know how many mouths I’ll be feeding,” Joyce explained.

“Well, I’m coming home Wednesday after classes, and I’ll be there until Sunday afternoon,” Will said. “Mike and El will be in Hawkins the same time as me, but I don’t know when they plan on being at our house and when they plan on being at Mike’s house.”

“I talked to Jonathan and Nancy, and the Wheelers are having Thanksgiving dinner at their house at six,” Joyce said. “So I was thinking we could either do a Thanksgiving lunch around noon, or we could do our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday evening instead of Thursday.”

“El has told me before that she doesn’t like cramming both Thanksgivings into one day. She feels exhausted and eats too much,” Will laughed. “So I’m fine with doing Friday night if you are.”

“That was Jonathan and Nancy’s vote, too,” Joyce said. “Apparently Holly really wants to go Black Friday shopping this year, and Nancy agreed to take her. So Nancy is going to stay at her parents’ house Thursday night.”

“Cool, so I’ll get to hang out with Jonathan for a while on Friday,” Will said.

“Okay, so for a head count, on Friday evening I should plan for Jonathan and Nancy, you, Mike and El-” Joyce paused abruptly before continuing.

“Mom?” Will asked, concerned.

“I didn’t want to just include them without asking you,” Joyce said quickly. “Would you be okay with Tim and his daughter joining us for Thanksgiving dinner?”

“Sure, Mom,” Will replied. “I kind of assumed Tim would be there anyway.”

“Well, I just wanted to be sure,” Joyce repeated.

“It’s okay, Mom. We all really liked him when we met him,” Will assured her.

“Okay,” Joyce sighed in relief. “Well, I can’t wait for you all to get home in a few weeks. I really miss you kids while you’re gone.”

“We miss you, too,” Will smiled. “I’m looking forward to being home for a few days.”

“Good. I’ll let you get back to your schoolwork,” Joyce said. “I love you, honey.”

“I love you, too,” Will replied before hanging up.

The next day up in Michigan, Dustin was anxious to see how Suzie would choose to act toward him. It would, of course, be their first time seeing each other since everything happened at the Halloween party. 

He looked up when Suzie entered the classroom, and she strolled over and took her seat next to him. Suzie gave Dustin the smallest nod as a greeting, barely even acknowledging his existence. Then, her eyes were fixed on the front of the classroom. 

Dustin couldn’t say he was overly stunned by this. After all, Suzie had blatantly said that she was going to go back to pretending that Dustin did not exist. The part that shocked Dustin was how seemingly easy it was for her to slip right into that. 

As the week went on, it was more of the same. Suzie barely acknowledged him each day. It was as if they had not drunkenly fucked in a bathroom mere days prior. Hell, it was as if they had never spoken before and did not have a history dating back to when they were fourteen. Suzie had said she was going to act as if Dustin did not exist, and evidently she meant it.

By the time Friday rolled around, Dustin had gotten used to Suzie’s behavior. At least she wasn’t being a bitch to him; she was just ignoring him. But, Friday was lab day. She wouldn’t be able to ignore him.

The lecture ended, and the class began to transition into their lab period. Dr. Collins handed out the instructional packets for their lab assignment, and Suzie dived right in to gathering the materials they needed. Dustin surveyed what Suzie had placed on their lab table and began to volunteer to help.  
“I’ll get the-”

“I’ve got it,” Suzie interrupted, not looking up at him.

Dustin pursed his lips shut and watched as Suzie placed the last remaining items they would need for the experiment on the table. She skimmed down the list of required materials one last time before deciding she had everything they would need.

“Ready to get started?” Dustin asked.

Suzie said nothing but answered him by beginning step one on her own. 

“How about I start on step two while you’re doing that,” Dustin suggested, to which Suzie finally acknowledged him by letting out an exasperated sigh.

“If you actually read the instructions, you would know we can’t start step two until step one is complete because step two is bringing this solution to a specific heat. Can we heat the solution before it is created?” Suzie snapped.

“Okay, well, what do you want me to do?” Dustin asked.

“Here. Stir this,” Suzie directed him and thrusted a beaker toward him that she had just combined two chemicals in.

“Thrilling,” Dustin muttered under his breath but took the beaker and began to stir the solution.

Dustin continued to bite his tongue throughout the lab, watching as Suzie moved seamlessly from step to step, doing most of the work herself while giving Dustin a tedious task in each step. As they neared the completion of their experiment, most of their classmates had already finished and left, presumably because they had all been working on their experiments as partners and were able to finish quicker than Suzie who was doing the experiment nearly on her own. Dustin made sure there was no one within earshot before breaking the silence between himself and Suzie.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked calmly.

“I’d rather you didn’t, but I imagine you’re going to anyway,” Suzie said curtly.

“Things seemed like they were getting better between us. We weren’t friends, but we could work together civilly. Then that party happened, and I know things – uh – transpired, and things were said, but… It seems like you hate me way more now than you ever did before. Is this what the rest of the semester is going to be like?” Dustin asked.

“You seemed pretty on board with me pretending you don’t exist,” Suzie said simply.

“Well, yeah, if that’s what you want. But, come on, Suzie, we have to work together,” Dustin said.

“Trust me, I’m counting down the days until we don’t have to do that anymore,” Suzie said.

“I don’t think I will ever understand you,” Dustin sighed, shaking his head.

“Well, then it’s a good thing you don’t have to,” Suzie retorted.

“I just don’t get it. There’s no way you’re still upset about a breakup from four years ago. Is this about you cheating on your boyfriend with me?” Dustin noticed Suzie’s eyes triple in size when he brought that up. “Because honestly, you were a pretty active participant in that-”

“Shut up,” Suzie hissed. “We are never to talk about that again. I clearly drank too much and-”

“I was there, Suzie. You weren’t that drunk. You may have had a buzz going, but you wanted it just as much as I did,” Dustin said. “And if you regret it now, that’s fine.”

“Of course I regret it,” Suzie spat. “Evan is a great guy. He doesn’t deserve… And that’s not me. I don’t… But I did. And it’s hard to pretend every day like I’m not hiding what I did from him.”

“I don’t think Evan’s the only person you’re hiding the truth from,” Dustin said.

“What do you mean?” Suzie asked, furrowing her brow.

“I think another reason you’re so mad is because you don’t want to admit to yourself that you wanted that to happen between us. And you definitely don’t want to admit that you enjoyed it,” Dustin replied.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Suzie shook her head. “You just can’t accept that we’re over. I made a mistake. It doesn’t mean I wanted it to happen.”

“Okay, Suzie,” Dustin said, realizing this conversation would not lead anywhere productive. “I was just hoping we could finish out the semester civilly, but I guess that won’t be happening.”

“I told you I was going to pretend like you don’t exist, and that’s how I intend to get through the rest of this semester with you,” Suzie said.

Dustin had nothing more to say. They finished their lab assignment, handed in their notebooks, and went their separate ways.

When Dustin returned to his dorm room, it took Sam only a few seconds to realize that something was bothering him.

“What’s up?” Sam asked.

“Just… Suzie,” Dustin sighed.

“Dude! Still?!” Sam exclaimed. “I thought she was back to ignoring you.”

“Well, she was. But today things kind of started to come out,” Dustin said.

“What kind of things?” Sam asked.

“Just things about what happened at the party,” Dustin shrugged.

He had told Sam the next day that he and Suzie hooked up.

“Seriously, forget about her. Stop letting yourself get pulled back into her bullshit. You know what else happened at that party? You met a cool girl. Zoey. Remember her?” Sam reminded him.

“Of course I do,” Dustin replied.

“Have you called her?” Sam asked.

“No,” Dustin said, looking down at his feet.

“Why not? Because you’re letting an ex from four years ago play with your head,” Sam said. “Call Zoey.”

Dustin stood in silence while Sam returned his attention to what he had been working on before Dustin came in. Sam had made his point. With a sigh, Dustin turned toward the door to leave.

“Where are you going?” Sam asked.

“The lounge,” Dustin replied. “Gonna make a phone call.”

“Are you calling Zoey?” Sam asked, raising his eyebrows hopefully.

“Maybe,” Dustin replied. “I want to talk to one of my friends first.”

Sam nodded, and Dustin left their room and walked to the shared lounge on their floor. Luckily, with it being a Friday afternoon, the lounge was empty. Most of the guys in their hall were eager to start their weekend and didn’t want to waste their time doing schoolwork right now.

Dustin picked up the phone and called Lucas’s room. After the sixth time the phone rang, Dustin gave up and hung up the phone. He dialed the number to Mike and Will’s room, and soon he heard Will’s voice.

“Hello?” Will said.

“Hey, Will,” Dustin said. “How’s it going?”

“Dustin! It’s nice to hear from you,” Will said. “Things are good. How are you?”

“Oh, fine, I guess,” Dustin replied.

“That doesn’t sound too convincing,” Will chuckled.

“Well… yeah,” Dustin laughed. “Hey, is Mike around?”

“Oh, uh, no,” Will replied, and Dustin cringed at the hurt that entered Will’s voice. “He’s out with El. I can let him know you called for him.”

“No, Will, I didn’t mean I don’t want to talk to you,” Dustin said quickly. “It’s just, I’m having an issue I thought Mike might be able to give me advice with. You’ve just never been through this, that’s all.”

“What is it?” Will asked.

Dustin sighed and decided to give Will a shot. Maybe Will would have some insight after all.

“Okay, well you know how Suzie’s my lab partner, and all semester she has been a godawful bitch to me,” Dustin recapped briefly.

“Right,” Will nodded.

“Well, recently, things had weirdly been getting better. We were able to work together like normal, cordial people,” Dustin said. “But then… something happened.”

“What happened?” Will pressed.

“Saturday night, we both ended up at the same Halloween party, and… we hooked up,” Dustin replied.

“Hooked up, like, you kissed?” Will asked.

“A little more than that,” Dustin chuckled. “We had sex in the bathroom.”

“Oh, shit,” Will said.

“Exactly,” Dustin sighed. “We were just arguing and then all of a sudden, I was fucking her on the sink-”

“Dustin!”

“You asked!” Dustin exclaimed defensively. “Anyway, she has a boyfriend, so she cheated on him with me that night. She said she was going to go back to pretending like I don’t exist, and she has definitely done that this week.”

“Okay, so, what’s the issue?” Will asked.

“We got into it today during our lab because I can’t handle her treating me like shit every day for the rest of the semester. I think she’s acting this way to me because she still has feelings for me,” Dustin explained. “Of course, she denied it and got all pissy.”

“Do you have feelings for her?” Will asked.

“Fuck no. I’m over her; I just want to be able to work together for the rest of the semester,” Dustin replied. “Plus, I met this really cool girl at the party, too.”

“What’s her name?” Will asked.

“Zoey,” Dustin replied.

“Have you and Zoey gone out?” Will asked.

“Well, no,” Dustin said. “We haven’t exactly talked since the party.”

“Why not?” Will asked.

“I don’t know,” Dustin sighed. “I just don’t know what to do. Suzie’s a raging bitch. Zoey was really cool, but I just don’t know.”

“Look, I think you’re overthinking and way overcomplicating things,” Will said. “You have no real reason not to give this Zoey girl a call, if you liked her when you talked to her at the party. You only have six weeks left dealing with Suzie. It’ll suck, but you’ll just have to suck it up and get through your labs. I think you’re letting Suzie interfere with you giving Zoey a chance.”

“I don’t think I’m doing that,” Dustin said.

“Then call her,” Will said. “Treat Suzie like a random girl in your class that you don’t know. Go out with Zoey for a little while and see how it goes. Just relax and stop overthinking everything. Do what will make you happy.”

“I guess you’re right,” Dustin sighed. “You know, you are pretty good at this.”

“Well, Mike’s the biggest overthinker I know, and I’ve been friends with him since we were five, so I’m used to it,” Will laughed.

“Good point,” Dustin chuckled.

“Hey, while you’re on the phone, when are you going to be home for Thanksgiving?” Will asked.

“I get out of classes around one on Wednesdays, so I’ll be in Hawkins Wednesday afternoon until Sunday afternoon,” Dustin replied.

“Cool, so will we. Lucas will only be there Wednesday and Thursday, so Mike and El and I were thinking about all of us getting together Wednesday night,” Will said.

“Sounds great,” Dustin said. “I can’t wait to see you guys again.”

“Me too,” Will agreed.

“How have you been, anyway? I feel like you and I haven’t really had the chance to catch up in a long time,” Dustin asked.

“Oh, well…” Will paused for a moment. “I think we’ll have plenty of time to catch up over Thanksgiving.”

“Is everything okay?” Dustin asked, furrowing his brow at the uncertainty in Will’s voice.

“Yeah, totally,” Will replied. “But I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later, Dustin.”

“Oh, um, okay. Bye, Will,” Dustin said.

“Bye,” Will replied and hung up the phone, leaving Dustin with a puzzled expression on his face.

That evening, Mike and El were at a dining hall on campus with Bethany, Cam, and Jake. All week, El had been avoiding Jake by leaving the common area whenever he showed up with Cam. Finally, Bethany had asked her about it, and El told her that the things Jake had said to and about her at the Halloween party had made her uncomfortable and had upset Mike. Bethany suggested that they all get dinner together to clear the air, and El and Mike agreed.

El had woken up that morning feeling uneasy, an anxious feeling pitted in her stomach from the moment her eyes opened. She was sure it wasn’t about their dinner plans; after all, if Jake made her uncomfortable again, she and Mike could just leave. As soon as El had left her dorm that morning for her first class, she noticed the sun was gone and felt the chill in the air which felt at least ten degrees cooler than it had been all week. In all of her classes, El’s classmates and professors had mentioned the incoming thunderstorm. Some professors had encouraged the students to go straight to their dorms in the late afternoon because the storm was expected to roll in around seven o’clock. El overheard several of her classmates talking about how the storm would probably knock the power out. 

When she finally met up with Mike after classes, he had immediately noticed how on-edge El was, and he was not surprised to learn that she was having bad feelings about such a big thunderstorm hitting. It would be the first big thunderstorm since they moved away from home. Back home, when there was a big storm, Mike hardly got any sleep because he stayed up on his supercom talking El through it. He was determined to make her feel safe through this storm and every storm for the rest of their lives.

“Why don’t we just cancel dinner and stay in tonight,” Mike had suggested.

“No,” El had shaken her head. “I don’t want to let a stupid fear control me like that.”

“It’s not stupid, El. But we’ll keep an eye on the weather, and we’ll make sure to be back to your room before it even starts to rain,” Mike had promised.

“Okay,” El had agreed.

So, they were eating dinner with Bethany, Cam, and Jake, as planned. El kept glancing over to the right where the dining hall wall was made up of windows, watching as the sky turned darker and darker. She felt Mike place his hand reassuringly on her knee, and she offered him a small smile.

“Bethany says that I said some shit at the party last weekend that made you uncomfortable, so I just want to clear the air,” Jake was saying. “Look, I think you’re a cool girl, and I don’t want to make you feel weird around me. I was drinking, and I said some shit I probably shouldn’t have. I’m sorry for that.”

“I appreciate that,” El said, forcing as genuine of a smile as she could while she tried to focus on Jake’s words instead of the impending storm.

“And, Mike, I know we don’t really know each other, but that’s your girl. I’m not gonna try anything with your girl,” Jake continued.

“I just didn’t appreciate the things you said about her,” Mike said.

“Honestly, you’ll have to be more specific. It’s kind of a blur to me,” Jake said.

“Calling her hot was one thing, but the comment about using her tongue when she took that jello shot. I didn’t like that at all,” Mike clarified. 

“Yeah, that was a little fucked up,” Cam chimed in.

“My bad. Look, I was just being dumb. I didn’t mean anything by it. Obviously, your girlfriend’s attractive. There’s no denying that. But I am not out to try and steal her away or make a move on her. She’s your girl, and you’re a lucky guy,” Jake shrugged.

“You’re definitely right about that,” Mike nodded.

“So, are we good?” Jake asked.

Mike glanced down at El who gave him a slight shrug.

“Yeah, we’re okay,” Mike said. “But no more comments about her. I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable.”

“Of course,” Jake agreed.

Once everyone was satisfied with Jake’s apology for his behavior, Bethany started filling them all in on her wedding planning. El was halfway listening and still watching the sky out the window. She and Mike had finished their dinner, and she was hoping for a moment when they could politely excuse themselves.

Just then, a rumble of thunder could be heard off in the distance. El shuddered in her seat and looked up at Mike with pleading eyes.

“Shit, looks like the storm might be hitting a little early,” Cam said, looking at his watch.

“Yeah, I think we’re going to head back,” Mike said. “We don’t want to get caught in the rain.”

The others agreed, and soon they parted way. Bethany, Cam, and Jake left in the direction of Cam and Jake’s dorm hall, and Mike and El began walking quickly back to El’s.

The thunder continued to roll in, and right as Mike and El were able to see El’s building in the distance, they felt the first raindrops falling from the sky. El squeezed Mike’s hand tightly as the blackened sky let out another rumble of thunder, and she all but sprinted the rest of the way to her dorm. Her heart was pounding when they reached her room and she fumbled to unlock the door.

As soon as Mike closed the door behind them, El was in his arms. He wrapped her up and held her tightly while she clung to his shirt and buried her face in his chest.

“It’s okay, El,” he whispered into her hair while he gently rubbed her back.

“No, it’s not, Mike. It’s…” she pulled out of his arms while she searched for the right words.

Another loud crack of thunder sounded while lightning flooded the room, and El jumped back to Mike. 

“I should be able to handle a thunderstorm by now,” she said. “It’s embarrassing.”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Mike assured her. “Tons of people go their whole lives not liking thunderstorms.”

“Sometimes, I’m okay… When it passes quickly or it’s not that loud. But the really big ones,” El paused for several seconds as the room lit up from more lightning and another rumble of thunder surrounded them. “It takes me back to when I was little… In the lab, I would be all alone in the dark, and I didn’t know what thunder was. I would think the ceiling, the walls, the whole building was falling down, and I could just lay there.”

Mike held her against him and kissed the top of her head. It had been a while since she talked about the lab.

“Then the night I escaped, there was a thunderstorm, and I was lost in it. And, sure, it turned out to be the most important night of my life, but when I hear thunder like-” she was cut off again by another long crack of thunder. “Like that, I remember being lost and cold and scared. And even when I knew I was safe, when I lived in the cabin with Hop or after I moved in with the Byers’, I was still curled up all alone remembering… all of it. I hate thunderstorms so much. That’s why I called you almost every time it stormed.”

Mike didn’t know what to say. He wished he could take away her pain and her fear and every bad memory she had, but he couldn’t. It was something they would both have to live with. 

“Let’s get you warmed up,” he said gently.

El let him pull her jacket off of her, and she kicked off her shoes. Mike brought her pajamas over and laid them on El’s desk next to where she was standing.

“I’m staying here with you tonight,” he said.

“But what about Will?” El asked. “You’re supposed to stay at your place tonight.”

“Don’t worry about that. He’ll understand,” Mike said.

El smiled and pulled Mike flush against her, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. When she pulled back, she looked lovingly up into his dark eyes and, with her hand cupping his cheek, she guided his lips down to her own. 

Mike wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently, trying to calm her nerves and soothe her fears. When more thunder rolled, El jumped and broke their kiss, but Mike still held her tightly.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t be,” Mike whispered back.

He took a step back and lifted El’s shirt over her head. Then he picked up the tank top she wore to bed and handed it to her. El pulled it on and then unhooked her bra from underneath her shirt and pulled it out and tossed it to the side. She changed from her jeans into the pajama shorts laying on her desk, and then she wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck to pull him close to her again.

“I love you,” he murmured against her lips. “You’re safe now, and you’ll never have to go through another storm alone. I promise.”

El smiled against his lips and leaned in to kiss him again.

“I love you,” she whispered when she had pulled back.

More thunder sounded, and El jumped and clutched onto Mike’s shirt. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back reassuringly. She was still so tense.

Mike took her hand and led her over to her bed. He took off his jacket and jeans and laid them on her desk chair, leaving him in his t-shirt and boxers. El crawled into her bed, and Mike soon followed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, El was snuggled against him, and he laid on his side to face her. Mike kissed her forehead and continued gently tracing his fingers up and down her back, hoping to calm her.

With another crack of thunder, El jumped again, and Mike felt her trembling in his arms. He grabbed ahold of the covers and pulled them up over their heads, forming a cocoon around El and himself.

“It’s just you and me, okay? Nothing’s going to hurt you, and you’ll never be alone again,” Mike whispered to her. “I’ve got you.”

El reached up to cup his cheek, her fingertips brushing into his soft hair. It was darker under the blankets, but she could still see his eyes staring right back at her. El softly connected their lips again, closing her eyes and focusing only on him. 

Mike deepened the kiss, turning their soft kiss more passionate as he held her tightly against himself. His hands roamed her back, brushing from the soft fabric of El’s thin tank top to the even softer skin of her exposed shoulders. He glided his tongue along her bottom lip, and she parted her lips to let him in. Mike held onto her tightly as he rolled onto his back, guiding her on top of him.

El heard another crack of thunder, and she startled only slightly, not breaking their kiss. Mike’s hands lowered to the small of her back, and he slipped his hands underneath her tank top and began caressing her skin. He slowly began to roll her tank top up her body, and El pulled back briefly from his lips so her top could come over her head.

Then, El’s lips were back to his while Mike cupped her breasts, gently rubbing his thumb over her nipples while they hardened. She sighed into his mouth at the feel of his big, warm hands on her body. El reached down to pull up Mike’s shirt until it was over his head as well. She started kissing his neck, and she heard Mike moan softly while his hands moved down her back again. Against her stomach, El could feel Mike’s hardening penis poking her through his boxers, and she smiled against his skin.

El grinded her hips against his, and Mike slid his hands under the waistband of her pajama shorts to squeeze her ass. 

Mike’s mind didn’t register the loud sound of thunder that boomed outside, but El instinctively jumped again in his arms.

“You’re okay, baby,” he whispered, and Mike felt El relax against him.

He pulled her shorts and panties down, and Mike could feel her heat against his cock through his boxers. Mike gripped El’s hips and pulled her down on his still-clothed cock, grinding her aching pussy against him. El groaned at the sensation of the tip of Mike’s penis rubbing against her clit through the fabric. 

She slipped her fingers under the waistband of Mike’s boxers and pulled them down to free his hard cock. El wrapped her small hand around his cock and began moving it firmly up and down as she leaned in to kiss him again. Mike’s hands were on her ass, gripping the flesh and holding her closely to him.

When the next crack of thunder hit, El barely acknowledged it, but Mike felt her body tense against him.

“I love you,” he reminded her quietly.

“I love you, too,” El whispered against his lips.

El stopped pumping his cock and guided it down to her opening. Mike could feel the tip of his cock against her warm center, becoming coated with the juices from her dripping pussy. He resisted the urge to pull her firmly down and plunge his cock deep inside her. Instead, he let El take the lead, and he savored the tight sensation as each inch of him was slowly welcomed by her walls.

El gasped as Mike was fully hilted inside of her. She began rocking her hips back and forth, keeping herself full of his cock while providing her clit with the delicious friction of rubbing against him.

Mike moved his hands up her back and pulled her down so they were chest-to-chest. He placed his hands on either side of her face, holding her hair back, and he kissed her deeply, meshing his tongue with hers as El began to pick up speed on his cock.

El moved to kiss his jaw, and she felt Mike start to thrust up to meet her movements, pushing himself even deeper inside. The faster Mike thrusted, the tighter his grip around her waist became. He snaked his hands down to firmly grip her ass again, and El squealed when he smacked one of her ass cheeks hard, the sound of his hand against her flesh even louder in their blanket cocoon.

“You like that?” Mike grunted.

“Yeah,” El whimpered.

Mike smacked her ass again, and El let out another squeal, turning Mike on even more. El pushed herself up, placing her hands on his chest to balance herself, and she picked up speed on his cock.

“Oh, fuck yes,” Mike hissed, looking between their bodies at where his hard cock was pounding in and out of her tight pussy. “Yeah, ride my dick, baby… Just like that… Ah, fuck.”

El closed her eyes and took in the sensation. All she could feel was Mike’s cock filling her up and sending wave after wave of pleasure throughout her body. All she could hear was the sound of their bodies connecting and Mike’s voice telling her how much he was enjoying it. That was all that mattered; the storm outside had fallen to the wayside, and El no longer even heard the distant thunder.

“God, El, you’re so fucking hot… I love watching you ride my cock,” Mike grunted as he thrusted up inside her. “Do you like riding my cock, El?”

“Yes, Mike,” El moaned. “I love it… your c-cock… oooh you f-fuck me so good.”

Mike felt his cock twitch; hearing her talk like that turned him on even more. He gripped her hips and jackhammered up into her. El cried out at the sudden change of pace, and she fell forward against his chest, digging her fingernails into his shoulders. Mike snaked one hand between their bodies and felt her soft pussy lips that were stretched open against his body. He rubbed her clit, his fingers making circles around it while his other arm held El tightly around her waist, keeping her body flush against his.

“You’re so close, aren’t you, baby?” Mike whispered in a ragged breath.

“Yes, Mike,” El whimpered. “You’re gonna m-make me c-cum.”

“I want you to cum, El. Cum all over my hard cock,” Mike said.

El closed her eyes, and it didn’t take long before she did just that. She gasped as Mike sent her over the edge, and she cried out his name while her pussy clenched around his hard cock.

“That’s my girl,” Mike whispered, starting to lose control himself from her pussy squeezing him so tightly. “You’re cumming all over my cock, and I’m fucking it back up inside of you… Jesus, fuck, El… God, I love fucking you… Oh, your p-pussy… your pussy is so. fucking. tight.”

Mike couldn’t hold it back any longer. He exploded inside her; his vision went white as he held her tightly against his body while he continued thrusting his cum into her until her pussy was filled with every last bit of it. 

Finally, Mike’s hold on El loosened, and she lifted her head from his heaving chest to look up at his face.

“That was… fucking incredible,” Mike panted. “I love you so fucking much.”

El smiled and leaned forward to kiss him softly. She lifted her hips to let Mike slide himself out of her, and then El pulled the blankets back, freeing them from their cocoon and welcoming the cool air against her sweaty skin. She stood from the bed and walked on shaky legs to her closet and pulled out a hand towel to wipe herself clean, as Mike’s cum had started running down her thighs. El looked over to see Mike watching her, and her lips tugged into a teasing smirk.

“Don’t tell me this turns you on,” she said.

“Everything you do turns me on,” Mike chuckled.

El rolled her eyes and tossed Mike a towel to wipe up his cock and pelvis. Then she crawled back into bed next to him, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips before laying down and resting her head on his chest.

They laid there as both of their heartrates returned to normal. Mike was running his fingers up and down El’s bare back, listening to the sound of her breathing, when he realized that was the only sound he heard.

“Sounds like the storm is over,” he observed.

El raised her head and looked toward the window. She didn’t hear any thunder or even any rain anymore.

“I guess it is,” she agreed.

“I think we found a good way to pass the time during thunderstorms from now on,” Mike said playfully, and El rolled her eyes again as she laid her head back down on his chest.

She pulled the blankets up to her chest and tucked them under her arm and closed her eyes. Mike squeezed his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

“Seriously, though. Don’t ever feel bad about how thunderstorms make you feel. I can’t change what happened in the past, but I’m here now, and I’ll be here to get you through every single storm for the rest of our lives,” Mike said in a softer tone.

El smiled against him and squeezed her arm around his waist.

“I know you will,” she said. Then she raised her head from his chest and leaned in to kiss him. “And thank you for that. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Mike replied.

El rested her head on his chest again and closed her eyes. It was not long before they both drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Meanwhile, Max was riding out an equally large thunderstorm at a party in Terre Haute. She and Sarah had caught word of the party from Sarah’s sister Courtney. It was nowhere near as big as the Halloween party had been. There were maybe half as many people, and it was actually not at a fraternity house, but at an off-campus house of one of Courtney’s friends.

All week, Max had struggled to make sense of what had happened between herself and Abby the night of the Halloween party. At first, she thought maybe she was just drunk and had let one thing lead to another. But Max quickly realized that she could not control the smile on her face or the blush of her cheeks when she relived that night with Abby.

Max had never really given much thought to her sexuality. She had always been with Lucas, and even when she wasn’t, she was messing around with other guys. Sure, she had always been able to identify attractive females, but she never felt like she was actually attracted too them, just that they were conventionally attractive. Max had never considered being with a woman before… but after everything with Abby, she really could not think of anything else.

She had not spoken with Abby since Abby left the morning after the party. Abby seemed to know herself and her sexuality, and Max wasn’t sure how willing Abby would be to listen to Max’s uncertainty. Still, Max found herself hoping that she would run into Abby again at this party.

When Max and Sarah had arrived, they went straight to the kitchen to get their first drinks. Since then, Max was on her third drink and still had caught no sign of Abby anywhere. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of an immediately recognizable blonde dancing in the living room with another girl. Max’s stomach sank when she saw the girl’s face and confirmed that it was Abby. Abby had her arms wrapped around the other girl’s neck, and the two of them were pressed closely together while swaying to the music.

Max watched for a few moments, unable to look away. Finally, Abby glanced Max’s way, and Max saw the shock in Abby’s expression when Abby saw how upset Max looked. Abby muttered an excuse to the girl she was dancing with and strode over to Max.

“Max, hey. Good to see you,” Abby said.

“Who’s she?” Max asked, tilting her head in the direction Abby had come from.

“Just a girl I met tonight,” Abby shrugged.

Max said nothing more but sipped her drink through pursed lips.

“Wait, are you jealous or something?” Abby asked.

“Of course not,” Max retorted unconvincingly. “We’re not dating. I don’t even know what that night meant between us.”

“It meant we were both looking for a good time, and we both had a good time,” Abby said. “Things don’t always have to mean more than that.”

“Good to know,” Max muttered.

“Did you want it to mean more?” Abby asked, furrowing her brow.

“Not necessarily. It’s just…” Max sighed. “It was my first – you know – experience in that, uh, region… It would’ve been nice to talk about it at some point. Maybe it could’ve helped me figure out some of the shit that’s been going on in my head all week.”

“Look, I’m sorry if you’re confused, Max, but I can’t help you figure your shit out,” Abby said.

“So you’re just on to the next girl, then?” Max asked.

“I’m not looking for anything serious with anyone, Max. It’s my last year here, and I’m just trying to enjoy it,” Abby explained. “I suggest you do the same.”

With that, Abby left to rejoin the girl in the living room, leaving Max standing alone. She tossed her head back to finish the drink in her cup, and then she walked briskly back to the kitchen to get another drink.

How could Abby care so little? Abby just wanted a good time and didn’t care about how Max felt about anything afterward. Max felt used. She gulped half of her new drink in one swallow before topping off her cup again. 

“Are you okay?” came Sarah’s voice.

Max looked over to see her roommate looking concerned at her. Sarah had gone to use the bathroom moments before Max had run into Abby.

“Peachy,” Max said dryly.

“What’s the matter?” Sarah asked, but Max just shook her head.

Max walked out of the kitchen in search of Courtney, and soon she spotted her. Courtney was dancing with a group of her friends, and Max joined them, grabbing Courtney’s elbow to get her attention.

“Max! Are you having a good time?” Courtney asked in what sounded like one long word because of how much she was slurring.

“I’d be having a better time if…” Max glanced toward Courtney’s pocket. “Do you, uh, have any… you know…”

Max felt incredibly awkward – she had never asked for drugs before and was sure she was doing it wrong – but she hoped Courtney would understand what she was meaning. Sure enough, a knowing smile crossed Courtney’s face, and she gestured for Max to follow her.

Courtney led Max down the hallway and into a bathroom for some privacy. She pulled a plastic bag out of her pocket, and Max saw the familiar tablets inside. Courtney opened the bag and pulled out two of the little pills to place in Max’s hand. Max thanked her, and Courtney left Max alone in the bathroom.

Max looked at herself in the mirror and watched as her whole body swayed, the effects of the alcohol making it impossible to stand still. She placed one of the tablets on her tongue and slid the other one into her pocket. Max gulped down the rest of her cup before leaving the bathroom.

“Max, what’s going on?” Sarah demanded when Max exited the bathroom.

“Nothing,” Max shook her head. “I’m good.”

Sarah did not look convinced, but she followed Max back into the living room. Max began to dance along to the music playing. She closed her eyes and felt like she was lost in space, just floating to a beat. When she opened her eyes, Robin and her girlfriend Olivia had appeared. 

“Robin! Hi!” Max exclaimed and flung herself forward to hug Robin.

“Hey, Max. How much have you had to drink already?” Robin chuckled.

“At least, like, five or six of these,” Max shrugged and held up her cup.

“Well, maybe you should slow down a little,” Robin suggested.

“I know my limits,” Max replied, brushing off her advice.

The girls continued to dance, and Max could feel her inhibitions lowering as the effects of the ecstasy kicked in. Her heartrate started to increase, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the floating sensation again. Just as she had hoped, this time when she took the drug, she was better prepared for the effects, so she did not freak out.

Max was not sure how much time had passed, but it had to be more than an hour or so. She slipped the second ecstasy tablet out of her pocket and discreetly placed it between her lips. She gulped it down with another swig of her drink.

“I’m going to the kitchen. Do you want another?” Olivia offered, gesturing to Max’s empty cup.

“Yes please,” Max slurred, hoping it was decipherable.

When Olivia returned with the drinks, Max tilted hers upward to take a drink, and she stumbled to the side, causing her drink to spill down the front of her shirt.

“Fuck!” Max exclaimed.

“Here, it’s okay,” Robin quickly stepped in the take the cup from Max’s hand.

“Son of a bitch!” Max blurted out as one long word, still stumbling to the side as she tried to regain her composure.

“Max, hey, take my hand,” Robin said, grabbing both of Max’s hands. “Let’s go sit down.”

Robin led a very unstable Max over to the couch along the wall. Max flopped onto the empty cushion, leaning her head against the back of the couch. She was struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Max, can you hear me?” Robin asked, sitting next to her.

“Yeah,” Max breathed out. She was trying to focus her vision on Robin’s face, but everything was too much of a blur.

“Hey, keep your eyes open,” Robin instructed, the concern obvious in her voice. She then turned to Olivia. “Go to the kitchen and get a glass of water.”

“Don’t need water… ‘M fine,” Max insisted, almost incoherently.

Olivia quickly returned with the water, and Robin raised the glass to Max’s lips. Max took a sip of the water, and as soon as it hit her stomach and mixed with everything else she had ingested, a wave of nausea overtook her entire body.

“Fuck,” Max groaned.

“What’s the matter?” Robin asked.

“Gonna-” Max clamped her hand over her mouth as she started to gag.

“Shit. We need to get her to the bathroom,” Robin declared.

Robin and Olivia each grabbed one of Max’s arms and dragged her down the hallway into the bathroom. It felt like she was thrown onto the ground in front of the toilet. As Robin lifted the toilet seat for her, all Max could think was that the cold tiles felt so nice against her skin.

Suddenly, Max wrapped her arms around the toilet bowl and hung her head, vomiting profusely into it. She felt one of the other girls pull her hair back into a ponytail while she wretched again and again. When she was finished, Max fell backward and laid down completely on the floor.

“Max? What are you doing?” Robin asked.

“So good… the floor… cold,” Max mumbled as her droopy eyes began to close. She was losing the battle of keeping them open.

Finally, her eyes closed completely, and the sounds around her began to be more and more distant. Max could hear Robin, Olivia, and Sarah’s voices, but she didn’t hear everything that was being said. She could pick out words sporadically, and it took too much effort to try and place who said them.

“…alcohol poisoning…”

“She’ll be fine… needs to sleep it off…”

“…dangerous… She could die…”

“…underage… ruin our lives…”

“…hospital… 911…”

Everything went black.

Many hours later, Max slowly opened her eyes to a dimly lit, unfamiliar room. She blinked several times and looked down at the white sheets covering her body. Her head was pounding, and when she tried to move her arm to hold her head, she felt that it was attached to something. Max looked at her right arm and saw a needle sticking out of it attached to a long tube. Her eyes followed to tube up to the IV that was standing next to her. She was in a hospital room. What the fuck happened?

“Thank god you’re alive,” Robin sighed.

Max jumped slightly, not knowing Robin was in the room. She looked over to where an exhausted Robin was slouched in the chair next to her bed.

“Wha- what happened?” Max asked. 

She tried to clear her dry throat, and she moved her tongue around her mouth, feeling in dire need of water. Robin must have assumed this because she poured a cup of water from the pitcher on the tray next to the bed and handed it to Max to drink.

“What’s the last thing you remember from the party?” Robin asked.

“I remember a lot of dancing…” Max replied. She looked like she was straining to recall anything.

“Do you remember almost passing out on the couch? Collapsing on the bathroom floor? Puking?” Robin asked.

“Not at all,” Max shook her head, a horrified expression on her face.

“It was bad, Max,” Robin said. “We had to call 911.”

“You – what?!” Max exclaimed.

“Sarah, Olivia, Courtney, and a bunch of random people from the party – everyone was pissed at me for doing it. Everyone who was underage scattered as soon as I announced I was calling 911, but I had to do it,” Robin explained. “You wouldn’t wake up. Your breathing slowed way the fuck down.”

Max was speechless as she listened to Robin tell her what happened. 

“So… I-”

“You had your stomach pumped. They had to get that shit out of you, and they’re rehydrating you now,” Robin explained. “Now what the fuck is going on with you?”

“What do you mean?” Max asked slowly.

“I know you like to have a good time, but you’ve been different. Ecstasy? Nearly drinking yourself to death?” Robin asked.

“I overdid it,” Max tried to remain nonchalant.

“Cut the crap, Max. I watched you almost die; I should get to know why,” Robin said.

Max inhaled a shaky breath as her eyes began to fill with tears.

“Everything is just… so fucked up,” Max said as the first few tears spilled down her cheeks. “I-I… I’m going to fail out of school if I don’t get my shit together… I l-lost Lucas. I lost El… I h-hooked up with Ab – uh – with a girl last weekend, and my h-head has been spinning ever since… It’s t-too much.”

Robin’s eyes softened as she looked down at Max who was looking more frail than ever before.

“All of those things can be worked out,” Robin said gently.

Max nodded as she let out another shaky breath.

“I… I miss my best friend,” she said, more tears flowing. “El would be so fucking ashamed of me right now.”

“She wouldn’t be ashamed of you. She would want to help you,” Robin said. “Let’s get you better, and then we’ll get everything else turned around. I promise.”

Max nodded and sniffed back more tears. She felt Robin reach out and squeeze her hand, and the two girls sat silently until a nurse came to check on Max. A while later when Max was discharged, she somehow felt like a new person when she stepped outside. She had felt the sun and breeze on her skin millions of times in her life, but hearing from Robin what she had gone through last night, Max had a whole new appreciation for it. She had a lot of things to make right, she just had to figure out how to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you all enjoyed chapter 9! As I was rereading this, I want to make sure to tell you guys not to worry, I’m not just turning this into “TTWAS: Lumax Edition” or anything. I have so much planned for all the characters. I’m honestly expecting this to be 40-45 chapters based on everything I have outlined for this story. Well, thanks for waiting for me and thanks as always for reading. Please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for all the feedback! We are heading back to Hawkins in this chapter, and quite a bit happens, so I hope you all like it. Please remember to leave me a review and let me know!

Will was sitting in the backseat of Mike’s car with his head resting against the window. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and he, Mike, and El were on their way to Hawkins for the next four days. Will was excited to see his mom, Jonathan, Dustin, and Lucas again, but he also had a pool of anxiety in his stomach that seemed to grow larger each mile closer they got to Hawkins.

How would everyone react? Mike and El had been very accepting. Sure, Mike awkwardly fumbled for words at the beginning, but Will never felt like either of them didn’t still love him. He was sure the same would be true about his family and the rest of his friends.

“From everything you’ve told me about your mom and brother, they won’t think any differently of you,” Adam had said encouragingly before Will left that afternoon.

“It still feels like everything is about to change,” Will had said.

“I know. In a way, it is. You’ve come to terms personally with who you are, and now you’re going to share that with the people closest to you,” Adam had explained. “Do you want me to come with you? Be there for moral support?”

“You want to ditch your family on Thanksgiving?” Will has asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I would,” Adam had chuckled. “Save me from all the lawyer talk.”

“Thanks for offering, but I think coming out to everyone will be a big enough shock without then immediately introducing them to my – uh – ” Will’s cheeks had started to turn red as they did every time he fumbled with the word ‘boyfriend.’

“Partner? Is that easier?” Adam had offered with an amused grin. “And we can hold off on meeting the family. Just make sure you call me and let me know how it goes.”

“I will,” Will had agreed.

Of course, Will wouldn’t be telling his mom and Jonathan until Friday since that is when they were all getting together for Thanksgiving. Still, he would be seeing Dustin and Lucas tonight, and he was preparing in his head what he would say.

The whole trip to Hawkins, Will barely spoke to Mike and El. They could both tell he was nervous, but no matter how they tried to pull him out of his own thoughts, he kept slipping back into them. Finally, they pulled up to the Byers house.

“Thanks for the ride,” Will said as he pushed the back door open.

“You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me every time,” Mike chuckled. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yep,” Will sighed. He pulled his duffle bag and backpack out behind him and shut the car door.

“I hate seeing him so nervous and distracted,” El said as they watched Will walk up to the front door.

“I know. So do I,” Mike agreed.

Joyce met Will at the front door, and once Will walked inside, Joyce stood in the doorway giving a big smile and wave in Mike and El’s direction.

“But he’ll feel better soon, right?” El asked as she and Mike waved to Joyce.

“I hope so. I mean, he’s telling Dustin and Lucas tonight, and they’re not going to judge him. I think once all his closest friends know, it might be a little easier for him to tell his family,” Mike said. “Like, the more support he gets, the better he’ll feel about it. I don’t know, I’m just guessing.”

“Well I know he couldn’t do anything to make Mom and Jonathan not love him as much as they do now,” El said.

“Exactly,” Mike agreed.

Joyce had stepped back into the living room to give them privacy to say goodbye but left the door cracked open for El to come inside.

“I guess I should go now,” El sighed. Her eyes instantly softened into puppydog eyes. “I’ll miss you.”

“You’re coming over in three hours,” Mike laughed.

“Oh, so you won’t miss me?” El asked playfully.

“I always miss you when you’re not with me,” Mike said softly and kissed her forehead.

“That’s what I thought,” El said with a satisfied smile, and Mike chuckled and shook his head.

“Alright, go inside. I’ll see you tonight,” he said.

El leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you, too,” Mike replied.

El hopped out of the passenger seat, grabbed her bags from the back seat, and hurried up to the front porch. Once she was inside, Mike pulled out of the Byers’ driveway and headed off to his parents’ house.

“Hi sweetie! How was the drive?” Joyce asked as she wrapped El into a tight hug.

“It was okay, just long. Same as always,” El replied. “Where’s Will?”

“He went to his room. He said he has some schoolwork to do and he wanted to get it finished before Thanksgiving started,” Joyce said.

“Oh, okay,” El said, and she wondered if Will really had schoolwork or if he was saying that to have an excuse to be alone.

“Honey, I wanted to talk to you about something while it’s just the two of us,” Joyce said.

“Okay, what is it?” El asked, furrowing her brow in concern as she sat with Joyce on the couch.

“Oh, it’s nothing bad,” Joyce said quickly. “It’s just that I had to give Tim a little more of an explanation of your – well – background.”

“What do you mean?” El asked, her forehead creasing deeper.

“He and his daughter Natalie were here one day a few weeks ago, and Natalie was looking through the photo albums underneath the coffee table,” Joyce began. “She was confused as to why there were a bunch of pictures of Jonathan and Will growing up but none of you.”

“Oh,” El said, noticing where this was going. “So what did you say?”

“I told them that you are Hopper’s daughter and that Hopper and I had been close since high school, so when he passed away back in ’85, I took you in as my own,” Joyce explained.

“So, what all does Tim know?” El asked slowly.

“Tim and Natalie know that you’re not biologically my daughter but that you are mine in all ways that matter,” Joyce said warmly. “They know your last name is Hopper, not Byers. They know you’ve been living with us since you were fourteen, and I told them that your mom passed away when you were a little kid, so you were raised only by Hopper for many years.”

“Okay,” El nodded. “So, nothing about… anything else?”

“Absolutely not,” Joyce said. “They know nothing about your powers or your real past, and they won’t know about any of that.”

“Okay,” El sighed. “Thank you.”

“I just wanted to make sure you knew what I told them so everyone was on the same page,” Joyce said. “Basically, we’re using the same story we used when you were in high school.”

“It’s what I tell people when I make friends at college, too,” El said.

“Good,” Joyce nodded with a sad smile. She hated that they all had to lie about El’s life so much, but it was for her own safety. “So, how is everything going?”

“Great,” El replied, happily changing the subject. “I’m keeping B’s in most of my classes, but I do have an A in my creative writing class. Oh, and I have a C in my calculus class… I don’t understand why I have to take calculus anyway if I’m an English major. What does math have to do with writing?”

“Everyone has gen eds they have to take,” Joyce reminded her. “You only need one math credit, right?”

“Two,” El frowned. “So I have to take Calc II next semester.”

“You’ll get through it, sweetie. I’m sure Mike can help you with it,” Joyce said.

“He tries to,” El nodded. “But he also has his own classes, and I know those are a lot harder than mine. It’s kind of funny seeing how much he hates having to take an English class as one of his gen eds though.”

“Everything is still going well with you two?” Joyce asked.

“Yes. Better than it’s ever been,” El smiled.

“Good. And your friends?” Joyce asked.

“Well, I told you my friend Bethany got engaged. She talks a lot about wedding planning. It seems really exciting,” El couldn’t help but smile as she spoke. Hearing Bethany’s wedding plans had gotten El thinking more and more about a future wedding.

“Have you talked to Max at all?” Joyce asked gently, and El’s face fell as she shook her head.

“No. I stopped trying to call her a while ago because she never returned my calls,” she replied.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Joyce said.

“It’s okay,” El shrugged. “I do really miss her, though. I wish there was a way to go back to the night we had that fight and just fix things right then.”

“I’m sure she misses you too,” Joyce said.

“If she does, she hasn’t acted like it,” El said. “She never called me back, and I haven’t heard from her at all.”

“Just give it time. A friendship that has lasted as long as yours and been through what you girls have been through isn’t something that will just be thrown away over one fight,” Joyce said.

El sighed and nodded, hoping Joyce was right.

A few hours later, Joyce agreed to let Will borrow her car to drive himself and El to Mike’s house to hang out with their friends. Will teasingly rolled his eyes when El jumped into Mike’s arms the second he opened the front door.

“Do I even need to point out that you just saw each other a few hours ago?” Will asked.

“Don’t you know by now that a few hours is more like a week in Mike and El time?” came a voice from behind Mike.

“Lucas! Hey! How have you been?” Will asked, hurrying over to his friend who was standing in the doorway to the living room.

“I’ve been good,” Lucas replied, sharing a brief hug with Will. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” Will said. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” Lucas said before stepping forward to embrace El as well.

“You’re really doing okay? After… you know…” El asked gently when she pulled back from the hug. 

“After Max? Yeah, I’m fine. The single life really suits me,” Lucas replied. “And how are you doing? I hear you had your own sort of breakup with Max.”

“Yeah, it sucks,” El admitted, and she saw Mike glance down at the floor from the corner of her eye. “But I’m okay.”

“Holy shit! It’s Lucas Sinclair in the flesh. I haven’t seen you in months, man. How are you?” came another voice from the front doorway.

Everyone turned to see Dustin who had just arrived and come inside.

“Hey Dustin,” Lucas smiled and reached out to give him a hug.

After exchanging hugs with everyone, the five of them relocated down to the basement. Dustin flopped onto the recliner, Lucas took the armchair, and Will, El, and Mike relaxed onto the couch.

“Isn’t that the tv from your room?” Lucas asked, gesturing toward the television that was set up downstairs.

“Yeah. I moved it down here when I got home today,” Mike replied. “Last time, we just took the Atari upstairs and hung out in my room, but I just like it better down here.”

“Well, are we gonna play, or what?” Dustin asked.

Mike looked over at Will, unsure if Will wanted to talk with Lucas and Dustin first or wait until later.

“Yeah, let’s play,” Will said after a moment.

Lucas was closest to the game system, and he grabbed the two controllers, keeping one for himself and tossing the other to Mike.

“Hey! It was my idea!” Dustin protested.

“It’s Mike’s house, and I’m the one setting it up, so chill. You can play the winner,” Lucas replied. “Besides, you guys have until Sunday to hang out. I’m leaving after dinner tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah. This is our first time being in the presence of Lucas Sinclair: Freshman Football Star,” Dustin quipped.

“How’s that going, by the way?” Will asked.

“It’s great,” Lucas replied as the Atari started up. “I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. The guys are really cool. Plus, you can’t beat being around the cheerleaders all the time.”

“Yeah, one in particular though, right Lucas?” Mike asked, his eyes not leaving the screen as a smirk crossed his face.

“What? Are you dating someone?” Dustin asked.

“Damn it, Mike,” Lucas sighed. “Not really. It’s complicated.”

“Is it complicated, or are you just making it complicated?” Mike asked, echoing the point that his friends raised to him nearly a year prior.

“So, I met this girl named Miranda, and she’s really cool. I do like her, but like I told Mike, I just don’t know about jumping into a new girlfriend situation just yet,” Lucas explained. “I haven’t actually been single in a while, and it’s been nice.”

“Have you seen Miranda again since that first date?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, we’ve gone out a couple more times,” Lucas admitted.

“Are you seeing anyone else?” Mike asked.

“Well, no,” Lucas replied.

“Sounds to me like you’re jumping into a new girlfriend situation,” Dustin chuckled.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Lucas said. “We have a good thing going, and that’s that. I’m single, she’s single, we have a good time together. Not everything needs a definitive label right away.”

“Damn it, Lucas,” Mike muttered as the game ended when Mike lost his final life.

“I’m happy the way things are right now,” Lucas said, turning to his friends. “Max and I were complicated in a different way, and being single has been freeing. I do like Miranda. She’s been like a breath of fresh air. I just want to keep things the way they are right now.”

“That’s fair,” Mike relented, choosing to keep to himself that eventually Lucas will have to face decisions with whether or not to move anything further with Miranda.

Mike tossed his controller to Dustin and leaned back against the couch, draping his arm around El’s shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

“Has anyone heard from Max recently?” Lucas asked, and everyone shook their heads. “I don’t really care, I was just curious.”

He and Dustin started a new game.

“Are things any better on the Suzie front?” Lucas asked. “She still being a bitch to you in class?”

“Oh, shit. I haven’t filled you in on anything, have I?” Dustin realized.

“Like what?” Lucas asked.

“Long story short, Suzie found herself a boyfriend. I don’t know why, but for some reason she was acting more civil toward me, and we were able to work together pretty well. Well, Halloween weekend, we both ended up at the same party,” Dustin began.

“Shit,” Lucas muttered.

“She cornered me in the bathroom, words were exchanged, things got tense,” Dustin continued. “We ended up having sex.”

“Good for you,” Lucas laughed.

“Well, in the moment, sure,” Dustin shrugged. “Then she said she was going to pretend like I don’t exist. And that’s what she’s been doing ever since. We got into it the first lab after we hooked up. I accused her of still having feelings for me, and she totally denied it. Basically, we act like strangers and just get through the assignments as quickly as we can.”

“That sounds really uncomfortable,” Lucas said.

“It is, but it’s just one class,” Dustin said.

“So did anything ever come from Zoey?” Will asked.

“Zoey?” Lucas repeated, raising his eyebrows. “Who is Zoey?”

“A girl I met at the Halloween party,” Dustin replied. “And no, nothing.”

“Did you call her?” Will asked.

“No,” Dustin said shortly. “I don’t know. I guess I just wasn’t feeling it.”

“I still think you should give her a call if you liked her,” Will said. “Not trying to tell you what to do, but if you think she could make you happy, then why not.”

The subject of Zoey was dropped, and the five of them took turns playing each other on the Atari for a couple hours. When they finished playing, Mike agreed to drive up to Benny’s and bring back food for everyone. While he was gone, Will filled Lucas and Dustin in on his mom’s new boyfriend.

“Mom started dating a guy named Tim,” he began.

“Really? This is the first guy since Bob, right?” Dustin asked.

“Well…” Will glanced over at El. “Yeah, I guess, technically.”

“Oh, shit. Sorry, El,” Dustin said, feeling guilty as it dawned on him that Joyce and Hopper were forever unfinished.

“It’s okay,” El assured him, forcing a smile.

“What do you guys think of Tim?” Lucas asked.

“We only met him once, but he seems nice,” Will replied. “He seemed interested in getting to know us.”

“I think he makes her happy, and that’s what I want,” El added softly.

“He’ll be at our family Thanksgiving dinner on Friday,” Will said. “Him and his daughter.”

“How old is his daughter?” Lucas asked.

“Thirteen,” Will replied.

“So, how serious do you think things are with him and your mom?” Dustin asked.

“I mean, they’ve only been dating for about three months, but I know they spend a lot of time together. He and mom have spent time with Jonathan and Nancy a few times, and Jonathan has already met Tim’s daughter,” Will replied. “I don’t think they’ll be getting married anytime soon, but I think they are pretty serious about each other.”

“Well, as long as he’s good to her and makes her happy,” Lucas shrugged.

“She deserves that,” El nodded.

Soon after, Mike returned with the food from Benny’s, and everyone grabbed a burger and order of fries from the carryout bags. As they ate, they talked a bit about how classes were going and what their plans were for the rest of their long Thanksgiving weekend.

“Like I said, I’m only in town for twenty-four hours,” Lucas said. “But that reminds me, our last game of the season is actually at Purdue in a couple of weeks.”

“So you’ll be on campus?” Mike asked.

“Yeah,” Lucas replied. “The game will be on that Saturday, and we’ll be taking the bus back Sunday morning. But we should hang out Saturday night after the game.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Mike said, and El nodded.

“That would be fun,” Will agreed.

“Maybe we can meet Miranda,” Mike added.

“We’ll see,” Lucas grinned. “Maybe we can also hit up a party and see about finding Will someone.”

El glanced over at Will just a little too quickly, and Lucas and Dustin instantly noticed the awkwardness that filled the air.

“Unless… Will has already found someone?” Lucas asked slowly.

“Wait. Do you have a girlfriend? Is that what was new with you that you didn’t want to talk about on the phone?” Dustin asked.

Will looked from El to Mike, and they both seemed to encourage him silently to open up to the others. He took a deep breath and began to nod.

“Yeah – well – I am seeing someone,” Will said.

“No shit?” Dustin asked.

“Good for you, man. What’s her name? What’s she like?” Lucas asked.

“Well, uh, I’m actually… seeing… a guy,” Will revealed slowly.

He raised his eyes from the floor so he could study Dustin and Lucas’s faces. They both looked stunned, but to Will’s relief, neither of them looked disgusted or judgmental. Will found himself holding his breath, waiting for one of them to speak.

“Like, romantically?” Dustin asked.

“Yes,” Will replied simply.

“So… you like guys? You… don’t like… girls?” Dustin asked carefully.

“That’s right,” Will nodded.

“Huh,” Dustin said thoughtfully. “I guess that makes sense.”

“What?” Will asked, furrowing his brow.

“I just mean, like, you’ve never really had a girlfriend before,” Dustin explained quickly. “Things with Jessica kind of ended without an explanation, and you never talked about another girl. So… that’s all I meant.”

“So… what’s his name? What’s he like?” Lucas asked, finally breaking his silence.

Will looked over at Lucas, his eyebrows raising in surprise at how seamlessly Lucas altered his previous questions.

“Wait, so… y-you guys are okay with it?” Will asked.

“Well, yeah,” Lucas replied obviously.

“Dude, it’s your life,” Dustin said.

“Yeah. As long as you’re happy, we’re happy for you,” Lucas added.

Will exhaled and swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat.

“Were you scared to tell us?” Lucas asked.

“Kind of,” Will admitted. “Mike and El have known for a while, but the idea of telling everyone else has just been driving me crazy.”

“I wish you’d have told us sooner, then,” Lucas said.

“Yeah, man. You’re one of our best friends. Nothing’s going to change that,” Dustin said.

Will looked over toward Mike and El, feeling relieved that his four best friends all knew who he really was and all still loved and accepted him.

“Told you,” Mike smiled.

“Now tell us about him,” Lucas said.

“Oh, well, uh, his name is Adam,” Will began. “We met in my graphic design class. He’s from Iowa, and he’s from a big family of lawyers. He has a lot of the same interests as me, and I really like him.”

“That’s great,” Lucas said, and Dustin nodded. “Maybe I can meet him when I’m in town for the Purdue game in a couple weeks, if you’re okay with that.”

“Uh, yeah. I mean, if you’re okay with it, then great,” Will replied.

Any tension or awkwardness that had been in the room was gone, and the five of them were back to hanging out and talking like normal. Eventually, Lucas announced he was going home for the night, and Dustin soon followed suit.

“That wasn’t nearly as bad as I was worried it would be,” Will said when it was just he, Mike, and El left in the basement.

“I figured it wouldn’t be,” Mike said.

“They’re your best friends. They love you just like we do,” El added.

“I know,” Will sighed. “Now all that’s left is Mom and Jonathan.”

“How are you feeling about that?” Mike asked.

“Honestly, a bit better now that I saw how Lucas and Dustin reacted,” Will replied. 

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about with your mom and brother,” Mike said.

“Definitely not,” El agreed. “But we’ll be there to support you anyway.”

“Of course,” Mike nodded.

“Thanks, guys,” Will smiled. “I’m going to head home for the night. You’re staying here, right El?”

“Yes. I’ll be home Friday morning,” El replied.

“Okay. Well, you two have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow,” Will said.

They stood and hugged goodbye, and Mike and El walked upstairs and to the front door with Will. Once Will was gone, El started to head back to the basement, but Mike caught her hand to stop her.

“Do you want to sleep in my room instead? I talked to my mom about it before you came over, and it’s okay,” Mike said.

El smiled and nodded, and the two of them walked upstairs to prepare for bed. Mike tossed his clothes into the hamper in his closet and climbed into bed in just his boxers. He watched as El pulled one of his t-shirts out of his dresser, stripped down to only her panties, and then slipped the t-shirt over her head. Then she brushed her hair before tying it up in a ponytail. She turned toward Mike’s bed and saw him looking at how the t-shirt hung down to her bare thighs.

“Seriously, how are you so hot all the time?” he marveled as El sat down on the bed.

She smiled and blushed as she scooted closer to him and pulled the blankets tightly around her body. Mike wrapped his arm around her to hold her close while El laid her head on his chest and linked her leg with his.

“Night, Mike. I love you,” El said softly.

“Night, El,” Mike whispered and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too.”

The next day, Max woke up in her bedroom at her mom and Neil’s house. The sun was shining through her bedroom window, and she could smell the turkey being prepared in the kitchen. She groaned at the thought of having to sit through Thanksgiving dinner with her mom and Neil. Max avoided visiting home as much as possible; in fact, this was her first visit home since moving away for college. She hoped she could eat dinner as quickly as possible and be excused early.

“Max, could you come help me in the kitchen, please?” came her mother’s voice through the bedroom door.

Max groaned but did not respond, pulling the covers over her head instead. A moment later, a thunderous pounding on the door caused Max to jump.

“Maxine! Come help your mother!” demanded Neil’s voice.

With an exasperated sigh, Max tossed her covers off herself and stood from her bed, striding across the room to the door. She flung it open to see her stepdad still standing in her doorway.

“Don’t call me that,” Max spat.

“Christ, were you planning on sleeping the entire day away? It’s already after noon,” Neil said, looking at his watch.

“Why does it matter when I wake up?” Max asked, rolling her eyes.

“Just go help your mother with whatever she wants, and then take a shower before dinner. You look like a mess,” Neil said before walking down the hallway and back into the living room.

Max rolled her eyes and shuffled down the hallway and into the kitchen to find her mother peeling potatoes. Susan looked up when Max entered, and Max instantly saw the disappointment cross her mother’s face at Max’s appearance.

“I’ll make myself look presentable before dinner,” Max stated. “What do you need help with?”

“Will you finish peeling these and then mash them in this bowl?” Susan asked, holding out the peeler and the half-peeled potato in her hand.

Max took them without another word and began peeling the potatoes. Susan pulled out another pan and dumped two cans of yams into it.

“Regular potatoes and sweet potatoes?” Max asked, furrowing her brow.

“Neil’s parents are coming, and they prefer sweet potatoes,” Susan explained.

“Why are they coming?” Max asked, not hiding her annoyance.

“Because it’s Thanksgiving,” Susan replied. “We have this discussion every year.”

“Yeah, because every year I’m confused about why they’re here. They never seem happy to be here. It would just be better for everyone if they stayed home,” Max said.

“They’re getting older,” Susan said. “Your grandparents-”

“They’re not my grandparents,” Max interrupted.

“Well, they were your brother’s grandparents,” Susan corrected herself with pursed lips. “And ever since Billy’s death, they’ve been trying to stay more involved. You could be a little more receptive.”

“Whatever,” Max sighed and rolled her eyes.

Max and her mother worked silently to prepare all the side dishes, and when they were ready to go into the oven alongside the turkey, Max excused herself to shower. She took an extra long shower, feeling as though it was the only place she could have some peace. Eventually, Max left the shower and prepared for the day.

Neil’s parents arrived two hours later, and Max begrudgingly joined them in the living room. Robert and Edith Hargrove were seated on the couch when Max entered the room. Robert was watching the football game on the television with Neil, and Edith was staring ahead at something, presumably Billy’s picture on the wall. Nobody looked up when Max came in.

Fifteen minutes later, the oven timer began beeping.

“Go help your mother get the food out,” Neil grumbled.

Max did not argue. She walked to the kitchen and helped her mom with placing the various side dishes on the table, and then Susan placed the turkey in the middle. Neil and his parents joined Max and Susan, and the five of them took their seats around the table.

“Everything smells great, dear,” Edith said, smiling at Susan.

“Thank you,” Susan replied.

They each filled their plates, and Max began eating as quickly as she could, still hoping to be able to excuse herself early. Billy’s grandparents were not bad people, but they were Billy’s grandparents, not hers. Ever since Billy died, they had tried to be more involved, but Max knew it was forced. She knew they didn’t view her any more as their granddaughter than she did them her grandparents. 

“What grade are you in, now, Maxine?” Edith asked, attempting to sound interested.

“I graduated earlier this year, remember? I’m a freshman in college now,” Max replied as patiently as she could.

“What college?” Robert asked.

“Indiana State,” Max replied.

“That’s great, dear. What are you studying?” Edith asked.

“I’m undecided,” Max said.

“Undecided?” Robert repeated. “What the hell is that? Doesn’t sound like a major to me.”

“Maxine has so many different interests that she hasn’t decided which direction she wants to go yet,” Susan intervened. “She is taking general courses right now and meeting regularly with her academic advisor to decide on a course of study.”

“So, she’s wasting money on bullshit, irrelevant courses and using them as an excuse to live at a university so she can get drunk, is that right?” Robert asked.

“That’s not-”

“Yep,” Max said loudly. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

The four adults looked at Max aghast, Neil raising his eyes from his plate for the first time since he was not particularly interested in the conversation.

“No it’s not,” Susan said.

“Yeah, Mom, it is,” Max insisted, placing her fork on her plate with a loud clank. “Because I’m so fucking stupid and such a fucking disappointment-”

“Watch your mouth,” Neil snarled.

“Fuck you,” Max spat before she could stop herself. “Fuck this stupid day. Every year, you try to act like we’re a normal family on the holidays, and for what? It won’t bring Billy back.”

“You keep my son’s name out of your mouth,” Neil growled, pointing across the table at Max.

“Maxine, what has gotten into you?” Susan asked sternly.

“Stop calling me Maxine,” Max demanded. “And nothing has gotten into me, Mom. This is who I am. You just don’t know me. You don’t know that I lost the only people in my life who actually give a fuck about me. Oh, you also don’t know that I could fail out of school any day now.”

“You what?!” Susan exclaimed.

“Yep, told you. I’m just wasting money at school to get drunk,” Max said.

“We need to talk about this later,” Susan said.

“No, I’ve said all I need to say,” Max said as she stood from the table. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

With that, Max stalked out of the house, slamming the front door behind her.

At the Wheeler house, Thanksgiving dinner was just beginning. Nancy and El had helped Karen set the table and place all the food in the center. They all took their seats and filled their plates. As they were eating, Holly and Nancy were planning their route for their Black Friday shopping in the morning.

“You’ll need to wake up at three in the morning,” Nancy explained. “We’ll want to get in line early, so dress warm.”

“I’m not sure I like the idea of Holly being out there with all the Black Friday crowds,” Karen said.

“You said it was okay! You said I could go!” Holly insisted.

“I know, sweetie, but it can be very dangerous, and you’re only ten years old,” Karen explained.

“I want to go,” Holly stated indignantly.

Karen sighed and looked at Nancy. She had taken Nancy Black Friday shopping for the first time when Nancy was twelve, and Holly was not much younger now. 

“We’re not in a big city. You know it’s not nearly as dangerous here,” Nancy reasoned with her mother.

“Holly, you listen to everything Nancy says, and you hold on to her the entire time,” Karen instructed sternly.

“I will. I promise,” Holly nodded fervently, and then turned to face El. “Are you coming, too?”

“No. Mike and I are going to my house tomorrow for our Thanksgiving,” El replied.

Nancy had asked El if she was interested in joining them for Black Friday shopping, and El had declined. El was worried the crowds would be too large and would cause her anxiety to run rampant.

“Nancy’s going to your house tomorrow, too, but she’s still going shopping in the morning,” Holly pointed out.

“Well, I don’t want to wake up at three in the morning,” El said.

“Fine. You’re missing out,” Holly said.

“Michael, I almost forgot to tell you. Everything is arranged for you to work at the office over your Christmas break,” Ted chimed in.

El and Nancy both looked questioningly at Mike, and his mouth dropped open as he was taken off guard.

“Uh, thanks, Dad,” he stammered.

“Mike, why are you-” Nancy began to ask but was interrupted again by Holly.

“Can we pick up one of my friends in the morning, too?” Holly asked.

“What? No,” Nancy said, reverting her attention back to her sister. “It’s just you and me going, Holly.”

Mike looked back to his food and avoided looking over at El who was still fixing him with a confused look. When everyone was finished eating, Nancy began stacking the dirty plates to take them into the kitchen.

“Thank you, honey,” Karen smiled. “Holly, would you mind helping your sister clean up? I’m going to go lay down. I’ve been so tired lately.”

Holly helped Nancy carry the dirty dishes to the sink, and El assisted by washing them while Holly dried them and put them away. When everything was cleaned up, Mike and El made their way down to the basement. Mike was hoping El would have forgotten what she heard his dad say at dinner, mainly because he didn’t want to lie to her even though he had a very good reason. Just in case she hadn’t forgotten, Mike decided to try and help her forget.

He laid El down on the couch, pinning her hands above her head, and dove into the crook of her neck, nipping at her skin. El squealed at the unexpectedness and giggled as chills shot throughout her body. Mike peppered her collarbone with kisses and trailed them up to her lips, placing kisses on her cheeks and nose along the way. He pulled back and looked down into her hazel eyes which were nearly black from her blown pupils.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too,” El smiled up at him.

Mike leaned in to kiss her slowly, and his lips lingered against hers as El hummed contentedly against him. She wove her fingers into his thick hair and started to gently massage into his scalp. Mike relaxed against her, resting his head on her chest and closing his eyes, lost in the feel of her gentle massage and the rise and fall of her chest with each breath. 

“Mike?” El said softly, stirring Mike from his state of serenity.

“Hmm?” he replied lazily.

“What did your dad mean when he said you would be working at the office over Christmas break?” El asked.

Mike’s eyes popped open, and he raised himself up on his elbow to look El in the eyes again.

“Oh, uh, he said he wants me to start working during breaks, and he arranged with his boss to let me come work at his office,” Mike said. “Something about teaching me responsibility, or whatever.”

“Oh,” El frowned.

“But hey, don’t worry. We’ll still have plenty of time to see each other, and this way I’ll have more money to spend on you,” Mike said.

He kissed the tip of El’s nose, and she giggled and squeezed her arms tightly around him.

“You know I don’t care about how much money you spend on me,” she reminded him.

“I know you don’t. But I think you deserve the world, so I’m going to give you as much of it as I can,” Mike said.

El ran her thumb over Mike’s cheekbone and cupped the side of his face. She was about to pull him in for another kiss when they heard a knock at the basement door. Mike furrowed his brow in confusion at who could be at the door, but he pushed himself off of El and walked over to answer it. When he opened the door, he was shocked to see Max standing on the other side.

“Max?” Mike said, and he heard El sit up rapidly on the couch behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Mike,” Max said. “Can I please come in?”

Mike looked Max up and down. She was shivering slightly from the cold since the sun was gone and all she had on was a lightweight zip-up hoodie over her tank top.

“Um, yeah. Sure,” Mike replied, stepping to the side so Max could come in.

“Hi, El,” Max said.

“Hi,” El said back, unsure of what to think. She hadn’t seen Max in what felt like ages.

Max walked awkwardly to the armchair and sat down, facing El and Mike who had rejoined her on the couch. Mike and El waited for Max to speak, but it looked like she did not know where to begin.

“So… what are you doing here?” Mike repeated, sounding genuinely confused and curious.

“I really wanted to talk to you guys,” Max said. “I went to your house, El, and Joyce said you were here.”

“Why were you looking for me?” El asked. Then it dawned on her that it was Thanksgiving and Max probably had some sort of altercation with her family. “Did something happen at home?”

“Well… yeah, I guess… But I wanted to talk to you before that happened anyway,” Max replied. She took a deep breath. “El, I’m sorry.”

Max’s voice caught in her throat, and she let out a shaky breath while Mike and El waited patiently for her to continue.

“I overreacted, and this whole thing got way out of hand,” she said. “Your relationship with Mike is yours, and you’re not obligated to tell me anything about it that you don’t want to… I was just hurt that you felt like you couldn’t trust me.”

“When I said we shouldn’t talk about me and Mike anymore, I was just trying to avoid any more drama. I wasn’t trying to shut you out,” El explained.

“I know. And I’m sorry for causing drama, but I swear I didn’t mean to. You’ve got to believe me,” Max pleaded, and then she looked from El to Mike. “Mike, you’ve got to believe me. I thought I was looking out for El. I wasn’t trying to come between you two, and I felt horrible.”

Mike looked at El and read her expression instantly. He knew how much she had been missing Max and wished she could change everything that happened. He wasn’t going to make things any more difficult for her.

“I believe you,” he said.

“Thank god,” Max sighed. “El, I’m sorry for how I handled everything. If I could change it, I would.”

“I’m sorry, too,” El said.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Max said.

“Yes, I do,” El nodded. “I should’ve listened to your explanation better. I should’ve known you didn’t mean to hurt me. It was an honest mistake.”

“It really was,” Max nodded. “And I know I’ve said this before, but I mean it, El. I will never interfere again with you and Mike, intentionally or not. I know how much you love each other. I know Mike is your best friend, but you’re mine, and I miss my best friend so much… Things have gotten so fucked up.”

El was alarmed to hear Max’s voice catch again and see her eyes well up with tears. 

“Max, what’s wrong?” El asked.

“Everything,” Max whispered before clearing her throat to force the lump down. “I’m sure you know Lucas and I broke up. I feel like I’ve just been spiraling out of control. I missed you, and I missed Lucas, and the only way I could convince myself I was feeling better was to make it so I couldn’t feel anything at all… I overdid it.”

“What do you mean?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

“I almost died a few weeks ago,” Max admitted.

“You what?!” El and Mike were both taken aback.

“I was mixing alcohol and ecstasy, and I was just getting so fucked up. I just wouldn’t stop. I had to be taken to the hospital,” Max explained.

“Holy shit, Max,” Mike muttered.

“I know. Not my finest moment,” Max said, looking down at the floor between her feet.

“I’m so happy you’re okay,” El said. “I can’t imagine hearing something happened to you, knowing we never made it back on good terms with each other.”

“I know… Laying in the hospital bed the next morning, thinking of how ashamed of me you would be, really made me kick my ass into gear and admit that my life is shit without you in it,” Max said. “I thought I had good friends at school, but nobody cares about me the way you do… the way the whole party does. Well, nobody except Robin Buckley.”

“Max, I’m not ashamed of you,” El said sincerely.

“I almost died of alcohol poisoning. I’ve been fucking around so much that I’m literally at risk of failing out of college,” Max said. “That’s what I fought with Mom and Neil about today.”

“We’re not going to let you feel alone anymore. I’m going to love and support you no matter what, and I’ll be there for you while you figure things out with school,” El said.

“Thanks, El. That means a lot,” Max smiled weakly. “Um, there is something else you should know.”

“What’s that?” El asked.

“Do you remember Abby?” Max asked.

“Yes,” El nodded, and Mike tensed up next to her at the mention of the name of the girl partially responsible for the worst six months of his life.

“I reconnected with her at a party, and I told her I forgave her for everything,” Max said.

“Oh… so, are you friends with her now?” El asked, and Max sensed the hurt in her voice.

“No,” Max replied. “She’s not a good person… But, I did, uh, hook up with her one night.”

“You… what do you mean?” El asked slowly.

“I mean we, uh… we made out… and then we did some other things… other sexual things,” Max admitted, her cheeks burning.

“With Abby?!” El exclaimed.

“Yeah, with Abby,” Max nodded. “I was so confused afterward, but she wanted no part in helping me figure anything out… I feel like she used me.”

“That’s awful,” El said gently.

“Yeah. And I’m just so confused because I really enjoyed what… what she and I did… I think it’s been really hard for me to come to terms with because I haven’t had anyone to talk to about it, but…” Max trailed off.

“Do you like girls?” El asked slowly.

“I-I… yeah… I think so,” Max said. “I like guys, too.”

“So… you’re-”

El furrowed her brow as she searched for the right word.

“Bisexual,” Mike offered.

“Would that… change anything? Would you guys feel differently about me?” Max asked.

“Of course not,” El said immediately, and Mike shook his head as well.

“Thank god,” Max sighed. “That’s just one of the things my head has been spinning with.”

“You don’t have to worry about that at all,” El assured her.

“Thank you,” Max smiled. “You guys have no idea how good it feels to be here talking to you right now… I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from me since I can tell you everything now.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, and I’m glad you came over,” El said.

“Me too,” Max agreed. “So, are we okay?”

“Of course,” El smiled. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Max said and then looked at Mike. “Mike?”

“We’re good, Max,” Mike replied.

“Good,” Max smiled. “Um… El, you’re probably not going back home tonight, are you?”

“No, I’m staying here tonight. Why?” El replied.

“Things got pretty heated with Mom and Neil tonight, and I was hoping I could crash at your place,” Max admitted.

“You can stay here tonight,” Mike said immediately.

“R-really?” Max asked, widening her eyes.

“Yeah. El and I will be sleeping in my room. You can have the basement,” Mike replied.

“Thanks, Mike,” Max smiled warmly.

Mike and El helped Max pull the pullout couch out into a bed, and then Max gave them each a hug good night, squeezing El extra tight. Mike and El went upstairs to Mike’s room, and soon they were laying in bed.

“Do you feel better now that you talked things out with Max?” Mike asked quietly.

“So much better,” El nodded against him.

“Good,” Mike said and kissed the top of her head.

“Thank you for making up with her, too. I know she’s not your favorite person,” El said.

“She made a mistake,” Mike shrugged. “She’s not a bad person, and she has suffered more than enough.”

“Thanks for letting her stay here tonight, too, babe,” El added, squeezing her arm around his middle to hug him.

“It’s no problem,” Mike said.

“I’m just happy to have my friend back,” El sighed.

“And I’m just happy that you’re happy,” Mike said.

They kissed good night and fell into a content sleep.

At 3AM, Mike woke up when he heard both Nancy and Holly’s alarm clocks ringing down the hallway. He laid on his back staring at the ceiling in annoyance, waiting for the girls to turn their alarms off. After nearly a whole minute, both alarms ceased. He rolled onto his side and realized he needed to get up to pee. Mike groaned before getting up and shuffling through his room and into the hallway.

Nancy was in Holly’s bedroom doorway, making sure the younger girl was getting out of bed, when she saw Mike walking their direction.

“What are you doing up?” Nancy asked quietly so as not to wake their parents.

“Bathroom. Your alarms woke me up,” Mike grumbled.

“Oh, sorry,” Nancy said. “Hey, is El still sleeping?”

“Of course she is. It’s 3AM,” Mike replied.

“What happened at dinner last night?” Nancy asked.

“What are you talking about?” Mike asked.

“You’re working with Dad? And then you really seemed to avoid looking over at El after that came out,” Nancy said.

“Oh, that. Uh, it’s nothing,” Mike said. His brain was too foggy to lie easily.

“Come on, tell me. Didn’t we agree not to keep secrets?” Nancy reminded him of their heart-to-heart when he and El were broken up last year.

“Fine,” Mike sighed.

He glanced down the hallway to his bedroom door which he had left cracked open, and he nudged Nancy to move from the doorway and into Holly’s room. Mike went in after her and closed the door. Both of his sisters were looking at him in anticipation.

“I want to ask El to marry me,” he revealed.

Nancy audibly gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth. Holly’s eyes widened and she sat straight up on her bed. 

“Really?” Nancy squealed.

“Yeah,” Mike couldn’t help but smile.

“When?” Nancy asked.

“I don’t know yet. I don’t have nearly enough money to buy her a ring. That’s why I’m working with Dad over Christmas and summer,” Mike explained. “But Mom and Dad don’t know. I told Dad some bullshit about saving money to replace the tv I took from the basement.”

“I won’t tell them,” Nancy said.

“Don’t tell anybody. I don’t want it getting out. Don’t even tell Jonathan, please?” Mike asked.

“I… oh, I don’t know if I can do that, Mike,” Nancy laughed.

“Nancy, I’m serious,” Mike insisted.

“I promise, I will try my hardest not to tell anyone, even Jonathan,” Nancy said. “But this is so exciting!”

“Holly, you can’t tell Mom and Dad either, okay?” Mike said, turning to his younger sister. “If Dad finds out the truth, he may change his mind and not let me work with him anymore, and then I wouldn’t be able to afford a ring and ask El to marry me. Understand?”

“I won’t tell them,” Holly nodded. “Do you think El will say yes?”

“I hope so,” Mike chuckled.

“I think she will,” Holly said.

“I know she will,” Nancy added. “She’ll be so excited, and – oh! The wedding planning! Mike, imagine her in a big, fancy, white ballgown with lace and pearls and-”

“I don’t even have money for a ring. I don’t know how you think we can afford this dress,” Mike interrupted her, but he couldn’t help but smile nonetheless at the image his sister painted of El in his mind.

“Mikey, she’ll look like a princess!” Holly said excitedly.

“Yeah, she will,” Mike agreed. “But you guys have to keep it a secret, okay? I don’t know when I’ll actually be able to afford this.”

Nancy and Holly both nodded, once again agreeing to keep the news between the three of them.

“Thank you. Now, I’m going to go to the bathroom and go back to bed because it’s way too early for me to be up,” Mike said, his hand on the doorknob.

“Sure you don’t want to join us? Maybe there’ll be a sale on engagement rings at one of the jewelry stores,” Nancy grinned, wriggling her eyebrows.

“No thanks. You two have fun,” Mike said.

He left Holly’s room, used the bathroom, and made his way back to his room. When he laid back down next to El, she turned to face him and scooted closer to him.

“Where’d you go?” she asked sleepily.

“Bathroom,” Mike answered, gently rubbing circles on her back.

“Are you okay? You were gone for a long time,” El said.

“Yeah. Nancy and Holly were up and started talking to me about their Black Friday plans,” Mike replied.

“Hmm, okay,” El hummed.

Mike kissed the top of her head and kept rubbing her back until he felt her steady breathing against him and knew she had fallen back asleep.

Nancy and Holly arrived home from Black Friday shopping around noon, and both girls looked exhausted. Holly trudged straight up the stairs without a word to anybody and right into her bedroom. Nancy made her way into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. She and Jonathan had agreed that he would pick her up around one o’clock and they would go over to his mom’s house.

“Did you guys buy a bunch of stuff?” Mike asked when Nancy joined him, El, Max, and Karen at the dining room table, as they were in the middle of lunch.

“We did,” Nancy nodded, setting down her coffee and the sandwich she made with leftover turkey. “It was a lot of fun.”

“You can just ride over to the Byers house with us if you want after lunch,” Mike offered. “Jonathan and Will went to the arcade, so who knows how long they’ll be gone.”

“Okay. Maybe I can get a nap in before they get there,” Nancy said, stifling a yawn. She looked across the table and finally noticed Max sitting there, and her eyebrows involuntarily raised in surprise.

“Hey,” Max said.

“Hey,” Nancy replied confused.

“Max came over and talked to us last night, and we’re all good now,” Mike explained briefly.

“She’s coming over for Thanksgiving, too,” El added.

When they finished eating, Mike, El, Max, and Nancy piled into Mike’s car, and they drove across town to the Byers’ house. The house already smelled like Thanksgiving when they walked in. Nancy went directly to Jonathan’s old room to take a nap, and Mike, El, and Max decided to hang out in the living room and wait for everyone else to join.

A few hours later, Jonathan and Will returned and Dustin showed up. The three of them were all noticeably surprised to see Max sitting there with Mike and El, as they all knew about El and Max’s falling out. Luckily, they were all quickly accepting of their reconciliation as well. Joyce had no problem with Max and Dustin joining the family for dinner, as she knew that even with taking a head count, she always made more food than necessary for Thanksgiving.

“Hey Mom, what time is Tim and his daughter going to be here?” Will asked suddenly.

“Probably within the hour,” Joyce replied.

“Okay, uh, can I talk to you for a minute?” Will asked.

He had decided to tell his family before Tim arrived. Joyce sat in a chair opposite the couch, a look of concern on her face. Will glanced at Mike, El, and Dustin who all gave him subtle nods of encouragement, and then he took a deep breath. Somehow, he did not feel nearly as anxious as he had when he told Lucas and Dustin two days ago. Probably because this was his third time coming out and he knew he had a lot of support in the room.

“What is it, honey?” Joyce asked.

“Well… Mike, El, and Dustin already know – so does Lucas, but he’s not here – and I wanted to let you guys know too,” Will rambled.

“Know what?” Jonathan asked.

“I, uh, started seeing someone,” Will said. “And… his name is Adam.”

Max’s eyes doubled in size, but she remained quiet and studied Joyce’s face with everyone else, waiting on a reaction.

Joyce did not react right away. She stayed seated, looking at Will, letting the information sink in. Soon, her eyes began to mist over, and her lips tugged upward into a smile.

“Are you happy?” she asked.

“Yeah, I am,” Will said with a nod.

“Then I’m happy for you. And, honey, you know I love you just the same,” Joyce said.

Will let out a sigh of relief and stood as his mom came over with outstretched arms to embrace him in a tight hug. When he pulled back from his mom, he looked over to his brother.

“Jonathan?” Will asked.

“I agree with Mom,” Jonathan said. “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. We still love you.”

Nancy nodded next to him.

Will was relieved. Now everyone important to him knew the truth, and they all accepted him for who he was. 

“When can we meet him?” Joyce asked, and then she looked over at El. “I’m assuming you’ve met him?”

“Yes, he’s great. I like him a lot,” El nodded.

“When do you want to meet him?” Will asked.

“As soon as possible,” Joyce laughed. “Maybe a few days over Christmas break?”

“I think we can work something like that out,” Will nodded.

An hour later, Tim and his daughter Natalie arrived. Tim was introduced to Dustin and Max, and Natalie was introduced to everyone she had not yet met, which was everyone but Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy. The Byers’ kitchen table was not big enough for everyone, so they set up a card table and lined it up with the edge of the kitchen table to make it longer. Jonathan pulled some folding chairs out of the hall closet so there was seating for everyone, and then the ten of them seated themselves around the table. Once everyone had filled their plates, they looked toward Joyce to start the tradition that she kept of going around the table and stating what they were thankful for.

“I know it may seem silly, but we started doing it back in ’83, and it’s a nice reminder of what we have to be thankful for,” Joyce said.

“It’s not silly at all. I’ll start,” Tim said. “I’m thankful for another year of good health with my daughter who has grown into a lovely teenager, and I’m thankful to have met such a wonderful woman who accepts Natalie and I into her family.”

They went clockwise around the table. Natalie fumbled with thinking of something; then Jonathan and Nancy each gave thanks for their families, friends, and jobs; Dustin simply said he was thankful to be here with all his friends. Then it was Max’s turn.

“I’m thankful for forgiveness,” she started, looking at El and Mike. “I’m thankful for second chances, friendship, my best friend, and Robin Buckley.”

“I’m thankful to have my best friend back,” El said, linking arms with Max. Then she turned to Mike. “And for another year with the love of my life.”

Across from them, Dustin pretended to gag, and El playfully glared at him.

“And of course my loving and supportive friends,” she quipped.

“I’m thankful for you, too,” Mike said, squeezing El’s hand under the table. “And for all of you.”

“I’m thankful for my mom, my family, all of you. I’m thankful for college helping me come out of my shell, and I’m thankful for love and acceptance,” Will said.

“And I’m thankful for my three wonderful kids, as always. I’m thankful I met a nice man at Benny’s one evening, and of course for his daughter,” Joyce smiled at Natalie. Then she turned to face Will. “And I’m thankful that you had the courage to share your true self with me and your friends, and that you know how much we all love you.”

Next to Joyce, Tim furrowed his brow in confusion but did not say anything. They all dug in to their meals, chatting about movies, classes, the arcade, and anything else that came to mind. Nancy suggested that she, El, and Natalie have a girls day soon so Natalie and El could get to know each other better like Natalie and Nancy had been able to. 

“I think that’s a great idea,” Joyce beamed at her daughter-in-law, happy with Natalie’s acceptance.

“We could go shopping, get our nails done, get lunch,” Nancy said. “How does that sound?”

“Sounds fun,” Natalie nodded.

“Great! How about tomorrow?” Nancy suggested.

“Tomorrow would work,” Tim nodded when Natalie looked up at him questioningly.

“Natalie, would you like to spend the night tonight? You girls could have a sleepover before your girls day,” Joyce suggested.

Tim and Natalie have stayed the night at the Byers’ house frequently over the last month as Tim and Joyce had become more serious, so Natalie had some clothes kept in the dresser in Jonathan’s old room.

“Yeah, that would be fun,” Natalie nodded.

When they all finished dinner, Dustin and Max stayed to hang out for a little while before leaving for the night. El offered to let Max spend the night as well, but Max said she needed to face going home at some point. She figured her mom and Neil had both had time to calm down.

Joyce was in the kitchen, cleaning up from dinner. Tim came over and stood next to her at the sink while she washed dishes. He picked a dish towel up and began drying them.

“It may not be much of my business, but can I ask what you meant at dinner?” he asked.

“What?” Joyce asked.

“You said you were thankful that Will had the courage to share his true self with everyone,” Tim reminded her. “What did you mean by that?”

“Oh,” Joyce said, her eyes widening as she realized what she had said in front of Tim and Natalie who had not known Will’s news. “Well, this afternoon Will shared some news with us, and…”

“You can trust me. I won’t tell Will that I know, if that helps,” Tim encouraged her.

“Will told us that he started seeing someone… named Adam,” Joyce revealed carefully.

“Oh,” Tim breathed, his grip on the dish towel tightening. “Will’s gay?”

“We just found out this afternoon,” Joyce said in a hushed tone. “He says he’s happy, and he’s going to try and bring Adam around during Christmas break.”

“Are you okay with that?” Tim asked, furrowing his brow.

“Well yeah, I want to meet the person making my son happy,” Joyce replied.

“I meant are you okay with him being… gay?” Tim clarified, his gaze darkening.

“I’m okay with Will being whoever he is. He’s my son, and I love him the same no matter what,” Joyce replied, and Tim nodded silently. “Is there a problem?”

“No, of course not,” Tim replied. “No problem at all.”

In the living room, the girls were preparing for their sleepover. Natalie was looking through the VHS collection to pick out a couple movies to watch.

“I’m heading home, Nance,” Jonathan said, pulling his jacket on. “Have fun with your sleepover and girls day. I’ll see you when you get home tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Nancy said, leaning up to kiss her husband. “Good night, honey. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Jonathan said, planting another kiss on her lips before leaving.

“So, since the house is apparently being taken over by the girls, do you want to stay and hang out with me tonight?” Will asked Mike.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Mike nodded.

“El, how many blankets do you have in your room?” Nancy asked.

“I have a lot,” El replied. “Mike, can you help me grab some blankets?”

“And pillows!” Nancy called after them as they disappeared down the hallway.

Once inside El’s bedroom, Mike switched to puppydog eyes immediately.

“Are you sure you want to have this sleepover with them?” he asked.

“Your sister kind of dragged me into it,” El said. “Besides, it’s just one night. It could be fun.”

“You know sleepovers with me are more fun, though,” Mike smirked, nuzzling into the side of El’s neck and planting a kiss below her ear.

“Mmm,” she sighed as she wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck, holding him closer as he nipped at her skin.

Mike’s hands trailed down El’s back, down her ass, and to the backs of her thighs. He gripped her thighs and hoisted her up. El squealed as Mike lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He stepped over to El’s bed and laid her on her back, pressing his body against hers.

“Mike, we don’t have time,” El whined.

He covered her mouth with his own, silencing her weak protest. El melted into the kiss, forgetting that she was supposed to be gathering pillows and blankets for the sleepover in the living room. She tangled her fingers in Mike’s hair, tugging at it lightly while their tongues sloppily meshed together. Mike slid his hand down the front of El’s body until it rested between her legs. He could feel her heat through her pants as he started to rub his fingers up and down. El gasped into Mike’s mouth and slipped her hands underneath his shirt, feeling his warm skin on her fingertips as she dug her nails into him.

“Do you need help with the blankets?” came a young voice as the bedroom door opened. Then, Natalie gasped loudly at what she saw.

“Shit!” Mike hissed as he rolled off of El.

“Natalie!” El exclaimed, a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

“What’s going on?” Tim asked as he appeared next to his daughter in the doorway, Joyce right behind him. He surveyed the scene before him of Mike and El on El’s bed, both with swollen red lips and disheveled hair and clothes. “What is this?”

“He was on top of her,” Natalie said.

“We were just making out!” El insisted.

“She should’ve knocked,” Mike added.

“Natalie, sweetie, go to the living room with Nancy,” Tim instructed.

Natalie walked down the hallway, leaving Mike and El alone facing Tim and Joyce. Tim looked furious.

“What were you two thinking?” he asked.

Mike and El both shrugged. They hadn’t been thinking of much other than each other.

“I’m sorry she walked in, but she really should have knocked,” El said.

“Don’t you think it’s a little disrespectful to be doing that under this roof?” Tim asked.

“Making out…?” Mike asked, furrowing his brow.

“I’m not that naïve,” Tim stated, and then he turned to Joyce. “Do you let them do whatever they want in your house?”

“I mean, they’ve been together so many years. I don’t particularly like it, but I know it happens. They’re very serious about each other,” Joyce explained.

“Well, I don’t want my daughter seeing that,” Tim said.

“Then your daughter shouldn’t walk into people’s bedrooms,” Mike said, and El nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

“Don’t you have a little sister? Would you want her to walk in on you two?” Tim asked.

“My little sister knows to knock,” Mike smirked, knowing that Holly has, in fact, walked in on worse than what Natalie just saw.

“Well my daughter knows that behavior is only meant for married people,” Tim said.

“So, you’re saying when you and Natalie spend the night here, you don’t sleep in Joyce’s room?” Mike challenged him.

“That’s different. We are grown adults,” Tim said.

“So are we,” Mike said.

“You’re children!” Tim argued. 

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. This is still my house,” Joyce interjected, looking back and forth between Tim and Mike. “Tim, let me talk to them alone.”

Tim huffed before walking down the hallway. Joyce stepped into El’s bedroom and closed the door so she was alone with Mike and El.

“Look, I think Tim is just a bit more on the conservative side when it comes to things like this,” Joyce said.

“He’s not my dad. He can’t yell at us like that,” El said.

“I know he’s not, sweetie,” Joyce said gently. “But, your dad probably would’ve reacted the same way.”

“That would be completely different,” El said.

“I know,” Joyce agreed. “I’m just trying to say that Tim means well. Mike, why don’t you go home for the night.”

“Fine,” Mike huffed. “Good night, baby. And good luck. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” El said and leaned up to kiss Mike.

Mike left El’s room and crossed the hall to knock on Will’s door.

“Wanna go stay at my house?” he asked when Will opened the door.

A moment later, Mike and Will left the Byers’ house. El followed Joyce down the hallway with arms full of blankets and pillows for their sleepover. Nancy gave her a knowing glance, having heard what happened and seeing Mike leave in the manner he did. 

“El, can I see you for a minute?” Tim asked from the doorway of the living room.

El stood from where she had just joined Nancy and Natalie and walked over to him. She followed Tim into the kitchen.

“I’m not trying to fill your dad’s place, and I’m not trying to dictate how you live your life,” he said. “But I really care about your mom, and that means I care about you kids, too.”

El crossed her arms over her chest and simply nodded.

“I’m just trying to raise a thirteen-year-old girl by myself, and I was hoping you could be a good role model for her when you’re around,” Tim continued.

“I understand,” El said.

“Good. Have fun tonight,” Tim said.

He patted El on the shoulder and left the kitchen. El rejoined Nancy and Natalie in the living room, and she realized in that moment that she had never missed Hopper more.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Truth be told, I am so excited for this story. I have been plotting it out for months (literally, the whole time I was writing Out Of The Woods, I was preparing this story on the side), and I have notebook pages full of timelines for each character because, even though this is primarily a Mileven fic, I want to focus on more development for all the characters that did not necessarily get much development in TTWAS. I plan on this story being very long and having a wild roller coaster of emotions. I have SO MUCH planned for this story, and I really hope you all love it as much as you loved TTWAS. (As a side note, this story will have more smut in it than TTWAS did. It is not a primarily smut story, but there will be rather consistent smut throughout. Mostly Mileven, but I am about 90% sure I will be including some snippets of other ships smut as well, as a heads up). Thank you so much for reading chapter one. Please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts.


End file.
